Sunbaker, 1937/ 1980s print

Authenticity stamp with pencil title, additionally signed by the artist’s son, Rex Dupain, verso.

Provenance:

Dupain Estate
Rex Dupain, the artist’s son Private collection, Sydney

Image size: 47 x 52.2 cm

Framed size: 86 x 86 cm

Max Dupain’s Sunbaker (1937) is Australia’s most iconic photograph.

Although taken years after the First World War, it resonated with nationalist ideals, evoking the bronzed Anzac spirit. In an era recovering from war, sunlight symbolized renewal, promoting both physical and spiritual well being.

The image captures a young man lying “sun-slain” on Culburra Beach, immersed in the elemental forces of sun, sand, and sea. Dupain’s low-angle composition emphasizes his connection to nature, reinforcing themes of vitality and renewal.

Often described as “the most famous and admired photograph in Australia,” Sunbaker reflects European modernist influences, focusing on abstract form over literal description. It has become ingrained in Australian consciousness, symbolizing health, outdoor living, and leisure.

Isobel Crombie, Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Victoria, links Sunbaker to vitalism and the “body culture” movement of the 1930s, describing it as an “archetype” of the ideal Australian. Dupain himself recalled its spontaneous creation: “It was a simple affair. We were camping down the South Coast, and one of my
friends leapt out of the surf and slammed down onto the beach to have a sunbake – marvellous. We made the image, and it’s been around, I suppose, as a sort of icon of the Australian way of life.” Judy Annear, Curator of  Photography at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, credited Dupain with capturing “a moment in time that came to symbolize the ambitions of a nation.” The photograph combines two interwar social mythologies: the “old sunburnt country” and physical health as a marker of modernity’s promise.

Despite its modest origins—taken during a 1937 trip with friends Harold Salvage and Chris Vandyke—Sunbaker only gained widespread recognition in 1975 when it was used to promote Max Dupain: Retrospective at the Australian Centre for Photography. Four years later, it featured on the back cover of Australian Photographers: The Philip Morris Collection, curated by James Mollison, cementing its status as a national icon. Formally, Sunbaker departs from Dupain’s earlier surrealist studio work. The subject’s bronzed skin, glistening with salt and sweat, embodies an idealized vision of the antipodean male—ironically, he was a recent English immigrant.

Unlike migration advertisements of the era, Sunbaker offers an introspective view of man’s communion with nature. The stark simplicity of composition, dramatic light, and lack of spatial context create a timeless, universal image—one that continues to define the Australian identity.

Auction Results (Sister Images):
Mossgreen Auctions: Estate Photographs, Sydney, 19 June 2016, Lot 11. Estimated $20,000– $30,000. Sold for $105,400.
Deutscher and Hackett : Twenty Classics of Australian Ar t , Melbourne, 11 November 2020, Lot 1. Estimated $30,000–$40,000. Sold for $61,364.

Menzies: Australian and International Fine Art & Sculpture, Sydney, 19 November 2020. Estimated $20,000 $30,000. Sold for $79,773.