Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Bray Proyart Area, Bray-sur-Somme |
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Accession Number | ART03118 |
Collection type | Art |
Measurement | framed: 38 x 45.9 cm; unframed: 28.6 x 36.2 cm |
Object type | Painting |
Physical description | oil on canvas |
Maker |
McCubbin, Louis Frederick |
Place made | France: Picardie, Somme, Bray Proyart Area, Bray-sur-Somme, France: Picardie, Somme, Bray Proyart Area, Bray-sur-Somme |
Date made | 1918 |
Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain This item is in the Public Domain |
Somme near Bray
A landscape featuring the Somme river near Bray in France during the First World War. The son of artist Frederick McCubbin, Louis McCubbin he enlisted with the 14th Battalion of the AIF and served in France from November 1917 with the 10th Field Ambulance. He undertook a camouflage course in 1918 and became one of five soldiers already serving with the AIF to be appointed an official war artist affiliated with the Australian War Records Section. McCubbin worked as Officer-in-Charge of Camouflage for the 3rd Division AIF. His appointment ceased in 1920. During the same year, he returned to Australia and was employed, until 1930, by the Australian War Memorial to paint the backgrounds to the dioramas. He also produced numerous watercolour preparatory sketches and two series of paintings to complement the dioramas. McCubbin was re-employed by the Memorial from 1935-1936 to undertake commissions for large painting depicting war damage on the Western Front. From 1936 until 1950, McCubbin was Director of the Art Gallery of South Australia and received an OBE for his services to art in 1947. During the Second World War, he was a member of the Memorial's Art Committee. He was also a member of the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board from 1945.