Sig (Cyril) Hurne-Miller, the artist's batman

This painting by Peter McIntyre was based on his first work as an official war artist with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in North Africa. It depicts McIntyre's batman, Cyril ('Sig') Hurne-Miller, and is an oil painting based on a sketch created in 1941 for the Christmas postcard that the soldiers sent to family and friends back home.

'An ordinary but hardy bloke'
McIntyre's portrayal of the Kiwi soldier as an 'ordinary but hardy bloke' appealed deeply to the public in New Zealand at the time. It was a far cry from the World War I representations of the soldier as a 'noble son of empire'. The painting has gained popularity as an example of popular myth-making and national identity in New Zealand.

McIntyre's New Zealand
McIntyre went on to immense popularity as an artist of the landscape and 'heartland' of New Zealand. His work, always naturalistic and academic in its approach, was intended to communicate directly with his audience. In the necessity of representing war, Sig (Cyril) Hurne-Miller, the Artist's Batman illustrates the origins of McIntyre's art and his part in the establishment of national narratives that reinforced Pākehā conceptions of themselves and the country they lived in.

Te Papa holds five works by McIntyre. These include official portraits as well as examples of the landscape painting that bought him public recognition and popularity.