This painting by John Lavery, published in the Burlington Magazine, (September 2014, Vol. 156 | No. 1338) shows a wounded World War I soldier having his arm dressed by a nurse. She wears the traditional uniform of nurses, with a veil attached to her cap, reflecting the times when nurses were still being addressed as “sister.”

Sir John Lavery (1856 –1941) was an Irish painter best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. Born in Belfast, he grew up in Glasgow, where he received part of his education. During World War I he was appointed as an official artist, and after the war he was knighted and elected to the Royal Academy.