Blue Mountains

This drawing depicts a man in a nineteenth-century soldier's uniform seated on a tree stump in a sparsely-indicated landscape setting. He cradles a patch of soil that has been dug up and from which sprout over thirty-three healthy mushrooms. Their full caps swell at the ends of strong, serpentine stems. Fisher rendered the forms in a firm, confident outline that succinctly gives the impression of volume, weight, and solidity. Shading has been accomplished largely through a tight series of parallel hatching except in the boots and hat, which show a uniform fill. There is great rhythm of curves and radiating lines throughout the drawing that equates mushroom caps to fallen leaves and the stems with the soldier's limbs, suggesting an interrelationship between all natural elements. Although the soldier is at rest there is a slightly ominous tone to the drawing. His expression seems that of psychological detachment as though weary from the implications of his vocation or circumstances in battle. The fungi, a traditional symbol of death, rot and renewal, is held close to his chest, a tangible reminder of the cost of war and risks of merely being alive.