The brutality of the conflict is reflected in a scene from the Bluff Cove air attacks and shows support ship RFA Sir Galahad ablaze.
Some 56 British servicemen were killed in the attack in June 1982, with 48 deaths coming during the bombing of the vessel.
One of the most seriously injured, Simon Weston CBE, became a national figure after documenting his recovery from severe burns, and for his decades of charity work.
The seemingly forgotten painting was found by a staff member who works for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, Cornwall. It was left in Building 110, known as the Fieldhouse block – named after Admiral John Fieldhouse who led the retaking of the Falkland Islands.
Jon Rickman-Dawson, DIO facilities manager who found the painting, said: “I went into a disused building as demolition work was happening nearby. I walked into a classroom and on the wall I noticed a very unusual piece of artwork.
“I took photos and started to ask questions to people who have worked on the site for a long time. My hope is someone will see the picture and it will make them remember something. It would be great to credit someone.”
The frame was cleaned, re-stained and treated before the painting went on show in the Trainees’ Bar at HMS Raleigh.
Mark Eve, who served as a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy in the war, said: “Not only does this painting make me emotional, it makes me immensely proud of what I did during that time.”
Anyone who knows the artist can email dio-corporatecomms@mod.gov.uk or contact via social media channels.
