Boy with cat 2

I saw this in a gallery in Canberra a few years ago.

The text under the painting:

John PERCEVAL
born Australia 1923 died Australia 2000
England 1963-65

Boy with cat 2
1943 Melbourne
oil on composition board

Purchased 1970           70.55

John Perceval painted _Boy with cat 2_ in 1942, when
he was 20. It is a far cry from the depth of the soul.
Painting expressively and with psychological insight,
the artist reflected the intense frustrations
of childhood, recalling his own difficult early years.
The work is also connected with the collective psyche
of a generation that grew up in the shadow of the
Depression, crossing the bridge into adulthood in
wartime Melbourne when discussions raged about
human beings' capacity not only to destroy others but
also to self-destruct in the process.