George Lambert - A Sargeant of the Lighthorse

George Lambert (1873-1930) - A Sargeant of the Lighthorse (1921)
Australia $1 Stamp Issued 1974
National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne

This 1974 stamp was the first Australian stamp to depict a painting.  The series also included paintings by Heysen and Roberts – all stamps were relatively high value for the 1970s, being $1, $2 and $4.

The painting was originally completed in 1920, shortly after WW1.  Light Horsemen were legendary during the war, and this painting was purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria in 1921.

Born in St Petersburg Russia in 1873, George Lambert arrived in Australia in 1887 after some schooling in the UK.  As he was rising as a prominent artist up to 1914, he was commissioned as a war artist during WW1 and went on to complete many more works later in his career.