In 1940, William Dobell (1899-1970) returned to Australia after ten years in Europe. He completed The Cypriot (illustrated) that same year, a portrait of his friend Aegus Gabrielides. Was it the first major painting he produced, and what is the mystery behind the work?
RELATED: The life and art of William Dobell
DELVE DEEPER: The Cypriot
Dobell was renowned for his incisive portraits, and won the Archibald Prize for portraiture three times (1943, 1948 and 1959). He often embellished aspects of his sitter’s appearance in order to draw out their most distinctive traits. This is true of his portrait of Gabrielides, the young man who regards us with indifference.
William Dobell ‘Study for the painting The Cypriot’
Gabrielides was a Greek waiter who worked in the London cafe frequented by Dobell in the 1930s. While Dobell’s early sketches portray an unassuming figure (illustrated), the finished painting presents a far more imposing character.
When painting a portrait, Dobell usually completed a series of pencil sketches in the sitter’s presence, seeking to capture key characteristics. He would then embark on a number of small studies in gouache or oil, each reflecting a different mood, then would paint the final version of the portrait based on these preliminary sketches, selecting the most insightful as a guide, but working neither directly from it, nor his model.
Look closely at the X-ray of the painting (illustrated). You can clearly distinguish the image of The Cypriot.
X-ray of ‘The Cypriot’
William Dobell ‘The Cypriot’
Now if we rotate the painting 90 degrees to the left, what this reveals is that there is another completed painting which lies underneath The Cypriot.
X-ray of ‘The Cypriot’ rotated showing under-painting
X-ray of ‘The Cypriot’ rotated
Now compare the X-ray with the small watercolour study from the Art Gallery of New South Wales called Boy lounging 1937. Clearly our X-ray also contains the ‘bones’ of Boy lounging which lies completed and unseen beneath The Cypriot.
‘Study for ‘Boy lounging‘ and X-ray of ‘The Cypriot’ showing under-painting
Why did Dobell paint over his initial painting?
Dobell was still poor, working with old brushes that had dried on the journey home to Australia. The abundance of brush hairs embedded in the painting’s surface are testimony to this. Chemical analysis of the paint layers show that he was using a combination of oil-based house paints and artist’s paints.
The artist’s economic situation, the large area of canvas to cover, as well as the scarcity of artist’s oil paints (owing to their requisition for use by official war artists during World War II) all contributed to a combination of paints being used. Economics might also account for Dobell’s re-use of the stretcher and canvas.
On his return, the publisher Sydney Ure Smith promoted Dobell as the ‘heir to George Lambert’ (1873-1930), and the artist felt compelled to produce his best work. But Boy lounging was not the ‘masterpiece’ the artist had aspired to produce on his return.
George W Lambert ‘Self portrait’
Unhappy with the finish of the painting, Dobell turned to the subject who had preoccupied him during his last six years in London. His many studies for The Cypriot stood him in good stead; he painted Gabrielides with great assurance and spirit. This is the artist at the peak of his painting technique. He draws inspiration from old master paintings he studied in Europe, such as Italian Mannerist painter Agnolo di Cosimo, usually known as Bronzino (illustrated).
Dobell’s mature style in The Cypriot reconciles the problems confronting a modernist painter who wanted to refer to classic masters and to contemporary, interior tensions.
Edited extracts sourced from John Hook, former Senior Conservator (Paintings), QAGOMA.
Agnolo di Cosimo ‘Portrait of Bartolomeo Panciatichi’
During the First World War, George W Lambert (1873-1930) served Australia as an Official War Artist attached to the ANZAC Mounted Division. He spent two terms in service, the first with the Light Horse in Palestine, and the second in Gallipoli and Egypt before his military contract discharge, when he was commissioned to paint an activity of the 2nd Australian Light Horse Field Ambulance Walk (An incident at Romani). The Battle of Romani was the last ground attack on the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The battle was fought 3-5 August 1916 near the Egyptian town of Romani.
2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance Wagon
The 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance was formed in Brisbane with the majority of the unit from Queensland. It’s purpose was to provide medical transport and aid to the wounded and sick soldiers of an Australian Light Horse brigade. Consisting of a Mobile Unit and a Receiving Station, all officers of the ambulance were either medical doctors or surgeons. The Mobile Unit travelled with its brigade into combat where it would establish a Dressing Station, using stretchers or carts to retrieve the wounded before transporting them back for surgery.
Soldiers of the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
HMAT A30 Borda
The contingent sailed from Brisbane on HMAT A30 Borda on 15 December 1914. We take this opportunity to reflect on the Light Horse Field Ambulance, with one of the many stories of courage. The soldiers of the 2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment are remembered with a marble and bronze Honour Board at the Shrine of Memories, ANZAC Square, in Brisbane.
Light Horse Field Ambulance parade, Brisbane
DELVE DEEPER: George W. Lambert
RELATED WORKS IN THE COLLECTION: ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the soldiers in those forces became known as ANZACs. Anzac Day is a commemoration of the anniversary of the landing of those troops at Gallipoli, Turkey on 25 April in 1915 / 11 November is Remembrance Day, the memorial day observed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month since the end of the First World War in 1918 to honour those who have died in the line of duty.
Australian Light Horsemen
Field ambulances
Field Ambulance in formation
As a result of Lambert’s service during the First World War, he was offered a variety of commissions to paint scenes from significant war time events after his war contract had officially ended in 1920.
Among these was a 100 pound commission from the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance to paint Walk (An incident at Romani), the activity of the Field Ambulance during the Turkish attack at Romani, in the north west Sinai Desert. The completed painting was to be given to the Queensland (National) Art Gallery by the Light Horse in memory of their fallen comrades. Lambert received the commission in 1919, to be painted immediately after he was released from his official war contract.
At the time, Lambert wrote the following to his wife in Britain: ‘I have a job to do at Kantara of the Field Ambulance work, very interesting’.
George W Lambert ‘Walk (An incident at Romani)’
The incident to which the painting refers occurred during the Battle of Romani on 4 August 1916. The 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance had deployed two sand-carts to an exposed part of the line in order to retrieve some seriously wounded men. Upon its return journey the Field Ambulance envoy came under Turkish fire and its panicked horses started to bolt.
Tragedy was averted when the corporal signalled ‘Walk’, and galloped to the front of the party to steady the teams. After the horses had been calmed and resumed their pace, the enemy apparently recognised the Ambulance’s mission and averted their fire. As a result of their bravery and composure during the incident the corporal and drivers were awarded Military Medals.
Light Horse Field Ambulance
The Light Horse units were mounted infantry with efficient mobile medical support. The Field Ambulance ensured the removal of the wounded from the front line to the advanced Dressing Station where there were surgical and resting tents. The sand carts had two wheels with tyres that were wide enough to stop the cart digging into soft sand, and could carry two or three stretchers. In heavy sand four horses were necessary to pull the cart, and the cart had to be steered by a rider on one of the lead horses.
‘Walk (An incident at Romani)’ (details)
Re-enactment for ‘Walk (An incident at Romani)’
When it was decided in 1919 to give Lambert the commission to paint this incident, the actual event was already three years in the past. To enable Lambert to make sketches of the event, it was re-enacted at Kantara, Egypt in 1919. Photographs were taken of Lambert at work sketching this re-enactment. The completed painting portrays the moment when the corporal signals ‘Walk’ whilst rushing to the front of the group to steady the bolting teams.
Artwork Correspondence
Colonel David Gifford Croll, CBE, was an eminent Queensland doctor who served in both World Wars, and is remembered for his service in the Middle East. Upon his return to Australia Dr. Croll resumed his medical practice in Sherwood, Brisbane and was in correspondence with George W. Lambert on behalf of the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance for the commission of Walk (An incident at Romani) as the core of the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance was formed in Brisbane.
Egypt, June 12th, 1919
“Mr G.W. Lambert, Official Artist, A.I.F. be commissioned to paint a picture depicting an incident in the history of the ambulance, such a picture to be presented to the Queensland National Art Gallery by members of the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance, in memory of their comrades who will return no more.”
The picture is...
