Guadalcanal
William Reed, Artist
This is one of the
paintings
in our collection.
It was made in 1946. The place where it was made is unknown.
About the Work
'The
Guadalcanal
Campaign
was
fought
between
Allied
and
Japanese
forces
on
Guadalcanal
Island
and
surrounding
islands,
which
make
up
part
of
the
Solomon
Islands.
The
Campaign
lasted
from
7
August
1942
to
9
February
1943.
It
was
the
first
major
campaign
by
the
Allies
against
the
Japanese
in
the
Pacific
theatre
of
the
Second
World
War.
The
allied
aim
was
to
halt
the
Japanese
advance
through
the
Pacific
and
Japanese
use
of
the
Solomon
Islands
to
block
supply
and
communication
routes
between
the
United
States,
New
Zealand
and
Australia.
Fierce
battles
took
place
on
land,
sea
and
in
the
air,
with
numerous
casualties
on
both
sides.
Eventually,
after
a
string
of
defeats
over
the
six-month
long
campaign,
the
Japanese
retreated
from
Guadalcanal
and
the
Solomon
Islands,
marking
a
turning
point
in
the
Pacific
war.'
- from Jessica Caldwell, Advisor, New Zealand Defence Force 'The Guadalcanal Campaign'.
- from Jessica Caldwell, Advisor, New Zealand Defence Force 'The Guadalcanal Campaign'.
Measurements
Image 445 x 521mm
Frame 675 x 880mm
Frame 675 x 880mm
Media
mixed media on unstretched canvas
Description
Painting on canvas depicting two Solomon Islander figures in the lower right corner wearing gold jewellery. Behind them are boxes/crates containing the remains of ammunition, rusted drums lying on their side, and a ruined landscape of broken palm trees which stretches into the far distance. Every single one of the palm trees has been violently snapped or blasted away leaving only the jagged base of each trunk behind.
Credit Line
Collection of the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui. Purchased, 1978.
Collection Type
Permanent collection
Acquisition Date
11 Sep 1978