The ‘Art of Sacrifice’
Over the course of three months, I followed the incredible story of George Petrou and his paintings. In that time I interviewed, recorded and captured audio, video and photographs of his colleagues and friends, his process and the journey that has led him here today.
Below is an amalgamation of words, audio and visuals that I put together myself, documenting just a small portion of his story so that others can see and appreciate his work.
Rediscovering the ‘Art of Sacrifice’
Following a life-altering cancer diagnosis, one man draws inspiration from rediscovered photographs of WWI soldiers and decides to commemorate them through the medium of paint.
George Petrou in his home studio, with his portraits.
Twelve years ago, George Petrou received news that changed the course of his life again. “It sort of came out of the blue.” Memories of supporting his wife through her own cancer battle, earlier in their marriage, came flooding to the forefront of his mind. Questions also filled his head: Did I push myself too hard at work? Am I going to survive this? What am I going to do?
“I was diagnosed on Friday. Monday morning [my GP] arranged for me to see a surgeon.” Prior to this, George had never been seriously ill. The only time he had spent in hospitals was to support ailing family members. “I saw the surgeon and he said, ‘Right, we are having the procedure in the next two days’.”
A cancer diagnosis is news no one wants to receive in their lifetime. “If I survive this, I just want to take it easy,” George recalls telling himself, “just relax… not get so stressed.” Before starting chemotherapy, he decided to re-evaluate his priorities. The graphic design company he owned and operated for more than 30 years was set aside in favour of his other passions, painting and Australian history.
“My new art direction had been determined – this would be my ‘new chemotherapy’.”
George Petrou’s paint brushes and other artistic implements.
Before the chaos, George was “doing some abstract stuff”, paintings which he sold but “found to be a little soulless [and] didn’t have a lot of meaning.” His work then was reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s. One of his own large-scale paintings with streaks of black, white and yellow, hangs in the centre of his dining room to this day. Although, he still considers the abstract style to lack substance and be a little shallow.
“I’m enjoying it, but I’m not getting nourishment out of it,” George recalls feeling when he revisited abstract painting during chemo. To challenge himself, he painted portraits, visited art exhibitions and attended lectures at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance.
“If someone told me 20 years ago that I would be painting portraits, I would have said ‘Yeah, yeah, of course I will, no worries. Not gonna happen’.”
Over a century after the end of the First World War, one man continues his quest to commemorate and honour Australia’s fallen soldiers, whilst fighting a battle of his own.
Amateur historian, Lambis Englezos’ lecture on his discovery of mass graves in Fromelles, captured George’s attention. Following another of Lambis’ talks, George finally made his acquaintance and immediately developed a long-lasting friendship. “He got me into this whole thing of commemoration and respect for soldiers and what they have done.” It was Lambis and his numerous contacts that helped George with his first military painting collection.
“The work he has been doing is quite remarkable. He is a generous man, is George, and a talented painter.” – Lambis Englezos
Portrait of George Gordon Gilbert.
George was invited to a foundation event at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra. This charity auction was held by the White Cloud and Heart Foundations on December 1st, 2012. George’s portrait of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG, which he started prior to knowing about the event, was put up for auction. The event hosted Former Governor-General Quentin Bryce, Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, White Cloud patron Roberts-Smith VC MG, fellow VC recipients Keith Payne VC OAM and Daniel Keighran VC.
Touring the AWM the day after, George discovered the ‘Remember Me: The Lost Diggers of Vignacourt Exhibition’. “It was there that I saw these photographs on display and I thought, ‘Wow, these photographs are unbelievable!’, so I snapped a few on my phone.”
The exhibition held 800 lithographs (glass negative photographic plates) of WWI Australian soldiers. The entire collection, which was discovered by Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program and bought by Australian businessman Kerry Stokes in 2012, contains over 4,000 plates. The majority of these, according to Ross Coulthart’s book ‘The Lost Diggers’, are candid images of ANZAC, British, Canadian, American, Indian and French troops during their respite from the frontlines of the war.
A Thuillier photograph of Australian soldiers.
The photographs hold great importance, as the soldiers were not permitted cameras. French farmers, Louis and Antoinette Thuillier would take photographs and for a few francs, turn them into postcards that the soldiers could send home. The Thuillier’s collection depicts Australia’s significant involvement on the Western Front, from military life to the close friendships the soldiers made with each other and the residents of Vignacourt.
Two months after the AWM charity event, George found himself in Hawthorn’s Readings bookstore. He recalls the first time he saw ‘The Lost Diggers’, “I picked up this book and it was the same photos. I fell in love with the story [and] the book.”
George contacted Lambis to see if he knew more about the diggers and was pleasantly surprised. “Ross Coulthart asked me to try and identify some of these soldiers,” George remembered Lambis explaining over the phone. Eventually, George met Coulthart and was later given permission from Stokes to use the digger’s photos for his paintings.
“This is a body of work that I would like to exhibit as a collection, one day”
George Petrou gives an insight into his artistic process and the motives behind his art, whilst author Michael C. Madden unearths the importance of this extensive body of work.
Painting the soldiers in an authentic way was paramount to George. He told True Blue History Podcast, “It was important that the face was not obstructed in any way. The face should be as real as possible, and the rest of it can be abstracted.” A limited palette of black, brown, ochre, red and green was implemented to represent elements of the war and its hardships.
The Lost Diggers collection of 16 portraits began touring Australia in 2015, with assistance from Findex Chairman, Terry Paule. Together, George and Findex have toured the subsequent collections of ‘The Twelve Great Australians’ and ‘The Victoria Cross Recipients’.
“Each portrait tells its own story.” – Lambis Englezos
Presently, George is creating a collection about influential Australian women. With his work and patronage, he raises ongoing awareness for soldiers and veterans. Ultimately, as close friend Lambis puts it, George has helped people “engage in the process of commemoration and remembrance” through the creation of these works.
