Study for 'Captain G.U. 'Scotty' Allan'

George Urquhart (Scotty) Allan served in the RAF on the Western Front during the First World War. In 1929 he was recruited by Charles Ulm as a pilot with Australian National Airways where he flew on the first airmail flights from Sydney to Brisbane with Charles Kingsford Smith. In 1933 he flew with Ulm and P. G. Taylor on the record-breaking flight from England to Australia in 'Faith in Australia'. During the Second World War he was seconded to the RAAF as a trainer and after the war was a senior executive with Qantas. In 1941 Allan was a member of the Qantas crew which brought flying boats from San Diego to Sydney for the RAAF. During 1941 Allan was seconded to the RAAF as Wing-Commander and was C.O. of various stations including Rathmines on Lake Macquarie, where he trained Catalina crews, and No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot at Lake Boga. Allan was married to the artist Ailsa Allan (1899-1943) who studied with Thea Proctor, Adelaide Perry, and William Dobell at the Julian Ashton School. Dobell spent time at both Rathmines and Lake Boga which is where he possibly met Allan as well as being introduced through Allan's wife, Ailsa.

This gouache was executed as a preparatory study for Dobell's portrait of Allan which was entered into the Archibald prize in 1941 and is considered one of Dobell's best portraits. The study is representative of Dobell's style of portraiture which is unique in being able to adapt to suit the character of his subject and reflect mood through his brushstrokes.