It is April 1945 and Harold Laynor is in Paris recuperating from his wounds sustained as a member of the famed "Ghost Army", the 603rd Camouflage Engineers Battalion.

Pablo Picasso, one of the world's most influential artists, while visiting young soldiers in the hospital, is intrigued by one soldier's intense interest in his work. He invites Laynor to see his studio and to watch him work. In a letter to his wife Gloria, Laynor reflects on this experience:

"I found Picasso wonderful and it's not difficult to see why he is the top figure in the art world today. My visit to his studio and working with him greatly inspires me to continue with my painting."

Picasso strengthened Laynor's belief that an artist must trust in his or her intuition to create freedom and originality. Laynor's strong convictions about patriotism coupled with his sense of the realities of war are dramatically portrayed in his World War II collection of paintings. He created these original works as a vivid memorial to the thousands of GIs who died or were severely wounded in defense of the ultimate freedom.

Click here to read a special Harold Laynor essay, "Pain".

Laynor's wartime experiences greatly affected his art for the rest of his life. His honesty and integrity shine through in his thousands of watercolors, oils, lacquers and stitched paintings.

The Laynor Foundation Museum Board of Directors had agreed to allow the purchase of the entire Harold A. Laynor World War II Collection in order to create a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute and/or another museum of sufficient import.

If you wish to be considered as a purchaser, make a donation, or support the Foundation in any way, please contact: The Laynor Foundation Museum