Monty - 1943 

This is a large portrait of General Bernard Law Montgomery. An oil rendering of a photograph taken at the very onset of the year 1943 (courtesy of Getty Images - credit: Popperfoto).

 

Monty, such was his diminutive, is wearing his famous black Royal Tank Regiment beret gifted to him by the driver of his command tank during the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.

 

A couple of months earlier, Monty had indeed met with Rommel's forces in a decisive encounter, which resulted in a major defeat for the latter and the very first tangible blow to the morale of the German army (soon to be followed by another blow at the battle of Stalingrad - the wind was now turning).

 

In this painting, one could tell the man's features give evident signs of physical and moral fatigue, combined with sheer relief at the happy outcome of the battle.

One of the artist's most dramatic rendering.