| Place | Oceania: Australia, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | ART28308 |
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | Overall: 39.5 x 57.8 cm (irregular) |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | watercolour and pen and black ink on paper |
| Maker |
Drysdale, Russell |
| Place made | Australia: New South Wales, Albury |
| Date made | c 1942 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
Study for 'Exercise near Hume Camp NSW'
Description
Study for the illustration 'Exercise near Hume Camp NSW'. Depicts a truck with several men standing/sitting nearby, at Hume Camp, Albury, New South Wales.
During the war Russell Drysdale moved to Albury, NSW for a period of six months in 1942. Surrounded by several military depots, hospitals and training facilities, he was exposed to the daily activities of life in the army and began to explore them in his artwork. Of particular interest to Drysdale was the affect the war had on urban environments and night-time scenery, and he experimented with new techniques to capture the unfamiliar atmosphere.
Stylistically 'Exercise near Hume Camp NSW' shows influences of friend and colleague Donald Friend. Spending much time together in Albury they provided each other with feedback as well as shared material. In this work the broad areas of colour layered over extensive the pen work shows likenesses to an earlier series of drawings sent to the artist by Friend. Drysdale was so taken with the illustrations by Friend that he bought one for himself.
When Drysdale donated the study to the Australian War Memorial in 1979, he mentioned it was unfinished.