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Man in the mud

Man in the mud is a diorama by Peter Corlett in the collection of the Australian War Memorial. It depicts an Australian soldier of World War I sitting on a muddy battlefield in France. Commissioned by the AWM in 1986, it was completed and placed on display in 1989. The work became a popular and much-loved item at the Memorial, and visitors often touch it because of its realistic appearance. It was originally shown in the World War I galleries, where its placement was intended to emphasize the harsh and impersonal nature of fighting on the Western Front. After those galleries closed for redevelopment in 2013, it was moved to the temporary exhibition space and was not included when the galleries reopened.

Man in the mud sculpture of a soldier sitting with hands covering his face in muddy terrain.
Peter Corlett’s Man in the mud sculpture shows a soldier seated in a muddy landscape, hands covering his face.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Man in the Mud sculpture of a slumped soldier in a muddy trench, with his face buried in his hands.
Peter Corlett’s Man in the Mud sculpture shows a distressed soldier seated in a muddy wartime scene.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Man in the mud diorama showing a seated soldier in helmet surrounded by mud and debris, with a wartime backdrop and information panels.
The Man in the mud display at the Australian War Memorial shows a seated soldier surrounded by simulated mud and debris.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0 au

Identification

TitleMan in the Mud
TypeDiorama

Creator

ArtistPeter Corlett

Historical context

Historical settingWorld War I, Western Front

Iconography and meaning

DepictsAn Australian soldier sitting on a muddy battlefield in France during World War I
SubjectThe difficult conditions endured by Australian soldiers on the Western Front during World War I
Pose sourceBased on a photograph in the Australian War Memorial collection of a group of gassed Australians at a casualty clearing station in France in May 1918
Pose creation methodDesigned using a live model photographed by Corlett recreating the pose from the archival photograph
Pose modificationCorlett slightly altered the pose to increase the drama of the soldier's body

Materials

Figure materialFiberglass
Mud materialFiberglass
Uniform materialFibre
Helmet materialMetal

Appearance

BackdropBrown-toned photograph of a muddy battlefield

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byAustralian War Memorial
Commission date1986

History and restoration

Completion date1989
Removal from galleriesRemoved from the Australian War Memorial's World War I galleries in April 2013 during major renovations
Status after galleries reopenedDid not return to the World War I galleries after they reopened

Location and ownership

CollectionAustralian War Memorial (AWM)
Display location at completionAustralian War Memorial World War I galleries
Location in 2005Just beyond the exit from the Gallipoli gallery; the first item visitors saw when entering the Western Front gallery
Interpretive purpose of placementTo emphasize the more impersonal and brutal nature of fighting in France compared with Gallipoli
Temporary display locationThe Memorial's temporary exhibition space

Significance

PopularityOne of the most popular displays at the Australian War Memorial; the museum website describes it as 'much loved'
Visitor interactionMany visitors touch the work because of the realistic appearance of the soldier and the muddy battlefield
Critical receptionA 1988 Canberra Times article described the then-unfinished diorama as 'very good'; Patrick Hutchings judged the work a success

Other

Description sourcePeter Corlett: Sculptures by Patrick Hutchings