This painting was done by Franz Bacher, a German POW in Camp Houlton during WWII. Many of the POWs did artwork to pass the time but Franz Bacher was a accomplished artist.

With some American money and a civilian coat, Franz escaped from a New Hampshire POW camp. Prison officials found a note on his bed, "I am going to escape today. The reason I am doing this is I live for my art. If I continue to cut wood, my hands will become so mutilated that I will be unable to paint. If I can’t paint, I can do nothing"

He was eventually recaptured and this time sent to Camp Houlton and released at the end of the war.

Franz Bacher went on to have a long and successful career as an artist.