10 May 2007 by Janda Gooding.
George Lambert: Gallipoli and Palestine Landscapes, Battlefield Tours, Exhibition, Gallipoli Mission, Janda's Blog about Gallipoli, Landscape, Landscapes of war
‘ANZAC Cove’ 1919 by George Lambert (ART02839) ART02839 On their first day in the ‘Old ANZAC area’*, Lambert and Hubert Wilkins (the official photographer of the Australian Historical Mission) were taken down to ANZAC Cove by Charles Bean. Bean was keen to introduce them to the area and show them the dugout that he had occupied during 1915. The following day, 16 February 1919 Lambert made another visit to the beach and then again the next day. As a group they retraced the steps of Hedley Vicars Howe who as a Private had landed with 11 Battalion on the morning of 25 April 1915. Howe’s account of the landing and climbing up Plugge’s Plateau would also largely inform the narrative that runs through Lambert’s large commissioned work ANZAC, the landing 1915. (a separate post to follow)
Lambert held off painting an ANZAC Cove subject until towards the end of his stay on Gallipoli with the Australian Historical Mission. On 5 March he made a painting of the beach with the hills of Suvla in the distance and wrote: “In the afternoon I did a picture, not a sketch, of ANZAC Cove, chiefly palette-knife, and quite like it”. This work - unusual for Lambert in that as he observes he used a palette knife - is quickly sketched in with only the barest indication of the complex topography of the slopes leading up from the beach. But, his painting also shows the debris of war still littered across the beach including the ruins of a water-condensing plant.
‘ANZAC Cove, February 1919′ photo by Hubert Wilkins (P03631.232) P03631.232Hubert Wilkins also took a photograph of the scene from the beach level and this more clearly shows the remnants of the terraces and rubbish along the water line. Wilkins’ and Lambert’s images are both classically composed with the sweeping curve of the bay, but each conveys a different sort of information. Wilkins’ photo indicates the stucture of the altered landscape and gives an immense amount of information - Lambert gives us an impression of the confused and still raw landscape of war.
In 2007 the scene has changed dramatically. The beach is shallower due to the build up required to support the road and possibly the natural shifting processes of coastlines has contributed to this erosion. Ari Burnu headland is clothed in green scrub and any terrace contours are invisible in the dense vegetation. However, as you come around the road past Hell Spit and see ANZAC Cove for the first time, it is still instantly recognisable by the curve of the beach and distinctive profile of the headland.
Anzac Cove with Ari Burnu headland, April 2007
* Charles Bean used the term ‘Old ANZAC area’ in his book Gallipoli Mission to denote all the ground held by the ANZAC forces from April 1915 until the second major thrust in August 1915.
19 April 2007 by Janda Gooding.
George Lambert: Gallipoli and Palestine Landscapes, Battlefield Tours, Exhibition, Janda's Blog about Gallipoli
Dardanelles from Chanak, effects of blizzard on Gallipoli 1919 by George Lambert (ART02833) ART02833
Cannakale is a small town on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles. From the waterfront you look across to the Gallipoli peninsula with some of the familiar landmarks visible in the distance - Kilid Bahr, Chunuk Bair and Mal Tepe. As we walked along the waterfront we searched for the spot where Lambert may have painted Dardanelles from Chanak, effects of blizzard on Gallipoli (ART02833).
Lambert wrote of his 7 day stay here: “Snow blizzards ice and general discomfort. No coal or wood and a damp gloomy fifth rate house called the Lion Hotel, may I live to forget it.” Frustrating as it may have been, the unexpected stay gave him time to paint this sparkling view across the rough seas to the snow shrouded slopes of Chunuk Bair.
View across to Chunuk Bair
The scene is very much the same today; the Narrows is a bustling waterway wth ships on their way to and from Istanbul and the Black Sea. In this fine spring weather the waterfront promenade was crowded with people ambling along, young kids coming out of school or Uni and others just sitting in sunny spots sipping some hot drink or other.
Already, from comparing the physical landscape with Lambert’s paintings, I am learning how he ‘framed’ his views, the choices he made about what to paint and then what he might have left out or put in.
Unfortunately, the picturesque wooden jetty is no longer here!
19 April 2007 by Janda Gooding.
George Lambert: Gallipoli and Palestine Landscapes, Battlefield Tours, Exhibition, Janda's Blog about Gallipoli
In late 2006 I was fortunate to receive a Gordon Darling Travel Grant to do field work at Gallipoli. The purpose of the grant is to examine the landscape of Gallipoli in relation to paintings and photographs of Gallipoli in the Memorial’s collection. I joined the Memorial’s Battlefield tour that left Australia 13 April. After 4 days in Istanbul we have arrived in Cannakale [Chanak] a small town on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles that looks across the Narrows to the Gallipoli peninsula. For a more detailed account of the battlefield group’s progress and some fantastic photos of what we are doing, check out my colleague John Lafferty’s blog.
Inside the fort, Chanak 1919 by George Lambert ART02832
Today we visited the ruins of Troy and the Dardanelles battery positions before heading back to Cannakale for an afternoon discussing the importance of this place to the Gallipoli campaign. George Lambert spent some time in Cannakale on his way to Gallipoli with the Australian Historical Mission in early 1919. Stranded for 7 days by rough seas and blizzards, Lambert spent his time painting and looking across the Narrows to Gallipoli. I know how he felt; we have been circling around, getting ever closer to our destination for the last few days!
While here, I wanted to locate the sites of a couple of Lambert’s paintings and in particular Inside the fort, Chanak (ART02832). This afternoon we visited the Cimenlik Castle fort built by Sultan Mehmet the second [the Conqueror] in 1461-1462. The fort now houses the Cannakale Military Museum.
When Lambert painted this, evidence of the fierce Allied bombardment of Cannakale was still very raw. The central feature of his painting is the Fatih Mosque of Sultan Mehmet II, with the badly damaged minaret rising from the battlements. The building on the right [the castle keep] has been completely restored but the damage line [so evident in Lambert's painting] is still visible in the stonework. The minaret has also been rebuilt and looks oddly new and somewhat incongruous amongst the stone battlements.
Inside the fort, Chanak today
Lambert’s painting must have been quickly sketched in on a cold and bleak day but captures superbly the tone and atmosphere of the fort complex. John Lafferty has taken this great photo from a similar vantage point to Lambert’s painting to show how it was this afternoon!
