Exhibition Theme - Service

The sleeping soldier

In this intriguing work full of darkness and mystery, Lymburner's sleeping soldier is a solitary figure in the landscape. The only sign of habitation is a white tent with flags fluttering in the distance. Our imaginations are prompted to speculate on the recumbent figure. Has he fallen asleep from exhaustion after endless marching and training, or is he recovering from a night of carousing?

Oil on canvas 36.8 x 65.2 cm
Painted in Sydney, 1942
Acquired in 1977
Australian War Memorial
ART28102

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