| Place | Europe: United Kingdom, England, Sussex, Eastbourne |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART26270 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 76 cm x 91.4 cm |
| Object type | Painting |
| Physical description | oil on canvas |
| Location | Main Bld: World War 2 Gallery: Gallery 4: Aftermath |
| Maker |
Bowen, Stella |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London |
| Date made | 1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Reception desk at Gowrie House, Eastbourne
Description
Upon arrival at the Australian prisoner of war repatriation centre at Eastbourne, the men were provided with a meal and accommodation. After settling in, they were allowed to send a free cable home and were presented with a Red Cross parcel. The men were presented with new uniforms and pay advances and then given 14 days leave and rail passes to explore Britain. Upon their return, they awaited embarkation to Australia. In this painting, Bowen has captured a friendly gathering of ex-prisoners of war with female British Red Cross officers, the group framed by the warmth of a desk lamp and watched over benevolently by portraits of Winston Churchill and John Curtin.
Stella Bowen was an official war artist from 7 Feb 1944 to Nov 1945. Bowen dated this work 'June', but as POWs mostly returned 1945, that is most likely when this work was created.