This painting is from, with-out doubt, one of the artist's most popular series of works. It is inspired by his observation of the making of the film called Always Afternoon, directed by the artist's life-long friend David Stevens. The painting's title provides the only clue the young soldiers are in fact actors resting off set.
The film was set during the 1st World War in Australia, and rather than painting what he saw being filmed, Watson was captivated by the actors and extras who, appearing lost in their own world's, relaxed off set between filming.
A great admirer and collector of the Always Afternoon series of paintings is Sir James Wolfensohn. The artist was delighted to learn the affect his paintings had on the former President of the World Bank, when they met in Mr Wolfensohn's office in New York.
