William Nowland Van Powell (Tennessee, 1904-1977) large watercolor on paper titled "The Attack by the United States Navy on the Harbor of Tripoli". Signed "Nowland Van Powell" and dated 1952 upper left corner. Watercolor depicts the US naval ships involved in the attack: Vixen, Enterprise, Syren, Argus, Constitution & Gunboat Nautilus. Additional inscriptions describing the scene below the title. Housed in a carved burlwood frame. Sight – 19 1/2" H x 27 3/4" W. Framed – 32" H x 37 3/4" W. Provenance: painting was given by the artist to a friend who lived in Memphis and has descended in her family. Artist Biography: Memphis, TN architect and artist, Nowland Van Powell (1904-1977) retired from architecture in the 1970s and began to paint full time. He is known for his paintings of ships and naval battles and also for painting Christmas cards for Vice President Spiro Agnew and family in 1971. Van Powell was the author of The American Navies of the Revolutionary War, a collection of his paintings, with descriptive notes by the artist was published in 1974 by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. CONDITION: Some slight toning to mat edges and mat, overall good condition. Couple of minute brown spots to paper. Some debris noted upper right margin under the glass. Not examined out of the frame.