THE INCOMPLETE THEFT

Ralph Burke Tyree (June 30, 1921 – January 15, 1979) was an American artist of the 20th century who had a prolific career painting scenes from the South Pacific. His love of the islands was sparked as a U.S. Marine during World War II when he was posted to Samoa. After the war, he split his years between California and the Pacific, depicting landscapes and exoticized Pacific Islander people in oil on board and black velvet.