Clown

Clown 1943 was painted at a time when Albert Tucker was entering a new phase in his art making, with his approach to subject and expression set against the background of a nation at war. His experience as part of the Australian army brought forth a period of trial and growth through which he found a means to connect his deepening interests in art, psychology, myth and symbolism. Drawing together images of the carnival, key motifs such as the red crescent-shaped mouth, and the iconic "V for victory" symbol, Tucker's Clown conveys the fear, anxiety and moral flux of post-Depression Melbourne during the Second World War.