Italian Soldier No. 2
- Artist: Glyn Warren Philpot
- Date: (circa) 1918
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Italian Soldier No. 2 by Glyn Warren Philpot. Painted around 1918, it is an oil on canvas that brings forward a slice of the Great War from the perspective of an Italian soldier. The canvas is modest in size, but Philpot gives the figure a weighty presence. His brushwork is loose enough to hint at movement, yet the soldier’s face remains calm, almost stoic, suggesting a man who has seen the chaos of battle yet holds himself steady. The palette is subdued, with muted earth tones and hints of gray, creating a sense of the harsh, gray skies typical of wartime trenches. Philpot’s use of light is subtle, focusing a gentle glow on the soldier’s profile, drawing the eye to the subtle lines of his jaw and the weary yet determined set of his eyes. Even without elaborate background details, the composition feels intimate; it invites viewers to contemplate the personal cost of war. The painting sits at a time when artists were grappling with how to represent conflict, and Philpot’s approach balances realism with a quiet, almost reverent tone. The work remains a powerful reminder of the individual stories that composed the broader narrative of 1918.
See it in person
Italian Soldier No. 2 hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
