Still life with shell

Private William Daniels (Army Medical Corps, August 1916 Reinforcements) brought this and another similar painting back to Australia at the end of the First World War. It was painted in France in April 1918 and is signed with a monogram (JHC) in the lower right corner.

Although little is known about the painting, it is far from technically naïve and shows a competent grasp of modelling with tone and perspective. The compositional arrangement reflects the practice of still life painting as it was taught in art schools of the period, in this instance the artist has draped a sheet over a chair and arranged objects close at hand to create an interesting composition. These objects include a small tin, two candles and a damaged spent artillery shell. All of these items were readily available to soldiers stationed at or near the Front in France. Small tins supplied with matches and two candles were produced specially for soldiers serving overseas while many soldiers carried their most treasured possessions in tins such as the Princess Mary Gift Box issued in 1914 to all serving men and women as a Christmas gift from the British royal family.