Soldier Smoking

by Michael R Hayter · Bristol, GB

This painting came from a childhood memory of being good, of always doing what I thought was right and following my parents' advice dutifully - like I was a little soldier. There is a line n a song by the band New Order to this effect - and it got me thinking about my childhood. In this image the soldier, who appears to come from another era, is off duty and is smoking and pensive, and maybe tired from his duties. When the idea came to me I also thought of the Mexican freedom fighter, Emiliano Zapata, who said something along the lines of: "it is better to die on my feet than to continue living on my knees". In other words, you have to take risks and fight to be free in this life. And maybe this soldier is about to rebel, mutiny or desert from his former role.