Sergeant R.D. Fraser, Mounted Rifles 1896

Painted in Sydney in 1888 by Tom Roberts, this portrait captures Sergeant R.D. Fraser in the uniform of the Mounted Rifles. Note the hat with its distinctive plume, a symbol of military prowess and readiness for combat. The act of carefully removing his gloves speaks to a moment of transition between activity and repose. This gesture of removing gloves echoes across time. In medieval courtly love, a knight removing his glove before his lady signaled devotion. This motif appears in countless Renaissance paintings. Yet here, with Sergeant Fraser, the act is tinged with the modern realities of military service. There’s a subtle tension—a moment of vulnerability—as Fraser pauses, caught between the call to duty and the desire for rest. Just as the serpent sheds its skin, this gesture holds a psychological weight, the shedding of one persona for another. This reflects a universal longing for peace amidst the chaos of conflict. Even today we see this in images, continually resurfacing and evolving.