Natives carrying wounded

This work was painted in the studio from sketches made in either Bougainville or New Britain. The painting possesses a powerful and dramatic sense of movement. The viewer is drawn into the picture and carried along with the stretcher bearers. The sturdy limbs, bright coloured clothing, upright stance and assured presence of the bearers suggests considerable strength and vitality. Herman evokes this through the use of colour and placement of the figures. The apparent vigour of the brightly clad bearers contrasts with the inert figure of the pale skinned, wounded soldier and despondent, armed escort. The notion of personal sacrifice for the sake of another is powerfully conveyed in this work. The stretcher bearers, heroes in their own right, risked their lives carrying wounded soldiers to safety through dangerous areas. This painting won the Sulman Prize in 1946.