Detail of the face.

Detail of the fabric's folds, embellishments and Sam Browne belt.

Halfway through the painting.

painted under the name Sinclair MacLagan
Alkyd Oil on Bluegum Hardwood
913mm x 960mm
2008

Winner of the Philip Leong Art Award in the Xtrata Percival Portrait Awards, 2008. Townsville.

Sold for $6000.00 to an undisclosed buyer.

"Brigadier John Caligari is the commander of the 3^rd Brigade, the Australian Army’s most potent light infantry fighting force. With service in excess of 25 years to the Army, he follows in the footsteps of his father who was a unit commander in Vietnam.

This image of him is replete with symbolism:

• He looks into the rising sun signifying a new dawn. With the change in the world since September 11, we have seen a new dawn in the world's balance of power. The new century will see more upheaval around the globe and more and more our soldiers will be put in harm’s way. The rising sun is also the symbol of the Australian Army.
   
• His shadow (done in Estapol wood stain) falls upon the crest of the 3^rd Brigade signifying the influence he has had on the fighting force. He stands in front of the 3^rd Brigade crest; it sits behind him signifying his leadership at the forefront.
   
• The stance is one of resolve (thus the title) and wariness… but it also smacks of impatience and a desire to ‘get on with the job’. These attributes are highly significant and part of the Army’s ethos.
   
• The embellishments to the uniform; the Sam Browne belt, campaign medals, Army Readiness badge, Chief of the Defence Force Commendation, Crossed Rifles and Infantry Combat Badge are indicative of his dedication and application to the profession of arms.

 The image was entered into a portrait competition under the name Sinclair MacLagan. Colonel Sinclair MacLagan was the commander of the 3rd Brigade which consisted of 9, 10 and 11 Battalions, Australian Infantry. These battalions were formed in Queensland and were the first ashore at Gallipoli. I felt it appropriate to honour the memory of the first commander of the 3rd Brigade by using his name to paint the current commander of the 3rd Brigade.

The painting is on bluegum hardwood joined with tongue and groove joins. The shadow is created by estapol stain keeping the grain of the wood visible. The whole work weighs in excess of 30 kilograms."

THIS IS WHAT ELIZABETH CROSS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE IMAGE (Photo courtesy of Caligari family.):

"This is an arresting work, which plays off the traditional and formal elements of portraiture against some contemporary elements. The artist utilizes a number of conventional and traditional elements particularly in the carefully observed and recorded apparel and accoutrements of Military rank and protocol (the uniform, badges, medals) and in the striking inclusion of the Army insignia. These are pitched against the informality of the pose and the direction of the circumspect gaze which directs us out of the picture to something unseen. The registration of individual character and masculinity in the acutely taciturn expression - yet one which hints at a capacity for compassion and seasoned judgement - is measured in the Brigadier's unflinching gaze."

"MacLagan ( the alias I used to paint this picture) juxtaposes senses of time - the arrested moment in the turned head is pitched against something focused and enduring. He utilizes the close observation and attention to detail particular to Realism and does so in the service of both the present and the timeless. His use of wood both as ground and background is a novel variation on the now neglected practise of painting on panel and introduces a contemporary familiar and even more informal mood - the wooden sections which comprise the ground of the painting evoke the palings of a wooden fence or barracks. The lighting too plays with our sense of time - the dramatic use of a single light source establishes an immediacy which softens the formal constraints of the portrait. While qualities of painterly handling are subsumed in the detailed recording of Military regalia, there is a very sure sense of touch and control of means in this painting. The evocation of individual persona is arresting - and we feel we know this strong, resilient individual."

"I don't often feel that art judges really assess work correctly... but I have to say that Ms Elizabeth Cross showed remarkable insight and intuition in her assessment, and I am quite touched that she interpreted my work in this way. I especially admire her ability to correlate the painting on wood to that of painting on wood panel by earlier artists. That was exactly my intent and she picked it immediately. Well Done, Ms Cross!"

For Hi Res image of the picture above left  click here. or the one above right, click here: CAPTION: - "The artist, Captain Conway Bown, Official Army War Artist (right) shows the final image of his prize-winning entry to the subject, Commander 3rd Brigade, Brigadier John Caligari, DSC, AM"

For Hi Res image of the finished artwork, click here. CAPTION: - "Conway Bown's prize-winning portrait of Brigadier John Caligari entitled 'Resolute - Brigadier John Caligari, DSC, AM, Commander 3rd Brigade'."

The painting of Resolute hanging in the Perc Tucker Gallery as part of the Xstrata Percival Portrait Award.

The banner displaying the portrait. Unfortunately, a poor photograph of the image was sent to the printers and the whitish 'stains' along the top of the image is actually the reflection of the flash on the wood.