ART90416 - Alec Campbell
Image copyright: © Australian War Memorial
- ID number
- ART90416
- Title
- Alec Campbell
- Artist
- Westwood, Bryan
- Object type
- Painting
- Place made
- Australia: New South Wales, Sydney
- Date made
- 1991
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Measurement
- overall: 123 x 107 cm
- Collection
- Art
- Description
- Alec Campbell was only 16 when he enlisted in Launceston straight from school in June 1915. He arrived at Gallipoli in October 1915 with the 15th Battalion and was there through to the evacuation. After the evacuation he become very ill and was discharged in August 1916. On his return to Australia he became a car and wagon builder under the War Reconstruction Training Scheme and worked for the railways workshops for 10 years. Depicts a portrait of 2731 Private Alec William Campbell, 15th Battalion, on pilgrimage for the 75th anniversary of the Landing at Gallipoli. This was painted with Alex wearing glasses in strong light. In his portrait of Alec, Westwood has shown the Gallipoli terrain reflected in the glasses. In this way, the painting suggest the power of the Peninsula on the veterans memory and the force of the Anzac experience on his vision of the world. Alec Campbell died at the age of 103 and was given a state funeral.
