Oil On Canvas Portrait Of A Captain Of The Scottish Grays - Signed And Dated O'brien 1946.

Impressive and atmospheric mid-20th century portrait of a handsome army officer traditionally identified as a captain in the Royal Scots Greys, signed and dated O'Brien 1946. The handsome sitter is painted in three-quarter length, eyes in the center standing on a blue background. The three pips on his shoulder indicate he was a captain. Seen from left to right), his medal ribbons appear to be - the Star of Africa, the Star of Italy, and the Star of France and Germany. This painting is in an excellent state of preservation and is ready to hang and be housed in a large blackened frame later. This work is signed and dated O'Brien lower right. It has been suggested to me that this work is potentially by famous Australian artist Justin O'Brien. Justin O'Brien (1917-1996) was one of the major Australian artists of his generation. He studied with Edward Smith between 1930 and 1936. During the Second World War, he served in Palestine and Greece before being captured at Ekali and interned first in Athens and then in Torun in Poland. In 1944 he was part of a group of prisoners of war sent to Barcelona in exchange for German prisoners and soon after returned to Australia to be demobilized. During captivity, O'Brien studied and drew inspiration from the Byzantine art of the countries in which he was imprisoned, which influenced his own artistic practice. The pictures he managed to paint in Torun, with materials provided by the Red Cross, formed the core of his first Australian exhibition, organized in Sydney with another ex-prisoner, Jesse Martin. The Byzantine influence, which gave his early works individuality and style, also influenced his mature painting. After the war, he taught at the Cranbrook School, before settling in Rome in 1967. He returned to Australia with exhibitions every two years. A contemporary of Margaret Olley, Jeffrey Smart and Donald Friend, O'Brien's work is represented in state and university collections across Australia and at the National Gallery of Australia, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art. from the Vatican to Rome. In 1987 the National Gallery of Victoria held a major retrospective exhibition of his work. High resolution images on request. Worldwide shipping available. Canvas: 39" x 28.5" / 99cm x 72cm. Framed: 22.5" x 46"/ 57cm x 47cm.