| Accession Number | ART28309.010 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Art |
| Measurement | sheet: 16 x 30.6 cm; image: 8.6 x 28.2 cm (irregular) |
| Object type | Work on paper |
| Physical description | pen and black ink on paper |
| Maker |
Drysdale, Russell |
| Place made | Australia, Australia: New South Wales, Sydney |
| Date made | 1944 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: AWM Licensed copyright |
Japanese dead
Description
Illustration for the wartime publication 'Soldier superb: the Australian fights in New Guinea'. Depicts the remains of human skeletons. On verso; sketch of a soldier climbing a ladder.
First published in Alan Dawes's 1943, Japanese dead is one of Drysdale's few illustrations to focus on the human cost of war. It presents a haunting image of the aftermath of an Australian air raid in Papua New Guinea. Towards the end of 1945, Drysdale went on to record the devastating effects of the drought in New South Wales. His paintings of rotting animal carcasses scattered across drought-stricken lands are markedly similar to this work.