Goodbye Old Man

[Steven Broomfield]

Thought you might be interested:

[Broken link removed]

[Ozzie]

Thank you Steven, for the update.

this one draws tears every time I see it.

Kim

[armourersergeant]

never seen it before, but a touching picture and well done. Poor sods never given a choice to go.

regards

Arm

[Jon Miller]

Thanks Steven, for the info - as you may remember, it's my favourite, a copy of which hangs on my bedroom wall.

[Owen D]

Do you think anyone would notice if I used it in this month's art competion thread?

Matania, must be my favourite artist of all time.

[Steven Broomfield]

Glad you like it.

Interestingly, The Blue Cross was well-known for its relief work. A poem "An Appeal", by 'Scots Greys', contained the lines:

"I'm only a cavalry charger, And I'm dying as fast as I can

(For my body is riddled with bullets -

They've potted both me and my man):

And though I've no words to express it,

I'm trying this message to tell

To kind folks who work for the Red Cross,

Oh, please help the Blue one as well."

(Taken from the anthology "Never Such Innocence" by Martin Stephen).

[montbrehain]

Ive allways liked this picture and would love to buy a copy ? any suggestions where. also i beleive there was a poem that went with it too ?

[Gary Samson]

...also i beleive there was a poem that went with it too ?

A Soldier's Kiss

by Henry Chappell

Only a dying horse! pull off the gear,

And slip the needless bit from frothing jaws,

Drag it aside there, leaving the road way clear,

The battery thunders on with scarce a pause.

Prone by the shell-swept highway there it lies

With quivering limbs, as fast the life-tide fails,

Dark films are closing o'er the faithful eyes

That mutely plead for aid where none avails.

Onward the battery rolls, but one there speeds

Needlessly of comrades voice or bursting shell,

Back to the wounded friend who lonely bleeds

Beside the stony highway where he fell.

Only a dying horse! he swiftly kneels,

Lifts the limp head and hears the shivering sigh

Kisses his friend, while down his cheek there steals

Sweet pity's tear, "Goodbye old man, Goodbye".

No honours wait him, medal, badge or star,

Though scarce could war a kindlier deed unfold;

He bears within his breast, more precious far

Beyond the gift of kings, a heart of gold.

You'd need a heart of stone not to be moved by these words.

Gary

[Ozzie]

Thank you Gary,

Kim (wiping away the tears)

[montbrehain]

thanks for that gary, it was as good as I remember

[Gary Samson]

Ive allways liked this picture and would love to buy a copy ? any suggestions where. also i beleive there was a poem that went with it too ?

There may be better sources but one is the Mary Evans Picture Library. You can buy prints of all the images in the library at www.prints-online.com. The search engine isn't great, "matania" doesn't list the image but "goodbye old man" does. I should add that I don't have any prints from the Mary Evans library so can't comment on quality nor do I have any connection with the picture library.

Gary

[johnreed]

I bought my copy in the PRI Shop at Kings Troop Royal Horse Atillery, St John's Wood. It is hanging up in my Dining Room.

John

[Steven Broomfield]

There's a point: as The Blue Cross owns the picture, I wonder what happens about the copyright? Do King's Troop pay money to TBX for every copy they sell? Does Mary Evans?

I wonder.....

[Ozzie]

Does Blue Cross sell it?

BTW I love all the Xmas cards and stuff in the online shop. If my daughter finds it I'll be broke.

Cheers

Kim

[Borden Battery]

Here is a website with more paintings of horses from the Great War. Borden Battery

Sir Alfred Munnings - Horse Painter

Alfred John Munnings(1878-1959) achieved renown as one of England's finest painters of horses. During the First World War his engagement by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund led to a series of prestigious post-war commissions that made him a wealthy man. This website segment contains a very nice selection of unique oil painting of horses, working horses and calvary officers. [Recommendation by Richard Laughton and Chris Wright][CEF Study Group - Nov 2005]

http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/munnings/eng/cwmb1eng.html

[michaeldr]

for the horses see

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War...r_Horses_01.htm

and

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War...s/Horses_01.htm

and for the artist see

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War.../Matania_19.htm

and

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War.../Matania_01.htm

actually I was looking for something else, but was happy to be diverted

Michael

[Borden Battery]

Hello Michael

Well done. Looks like I may need to create a new category for the CEF Study Group List for animals or add this to the section on Paintings. Nevertheless, you will be tagged as the one who recommended these sites.

Thanks

Borden Battery

[Soren]

HERE'S ONE WOT I CAME ACROSS TODAY: AFTER THE CHARGE: A WOUNDED CHUM

[Ozzie]

Thankyou for the links, Micheal.

Great find, Soren.

Cheers

Kim

[ypres1418]

Soren, a lovely pic that i have never seen before.

Mandy

[susanhemmings]

Thanks Steven, for the info - as you may remember, it's my favourite, a copy of which hangs on my bedroom wall.

And mine!

susan.

[Steven Broomfield]

Hi all. I have discovered (thanks to a request from Kim) that The Blue Cross does indeed have prints available.

A print - 9" x 14" - sells at about a tenner (English pounds!), including postage, and a poster (12" x 16") is also available.

A postcard is available, too. I also bumped into our Trading Company chap packing a load for TocH!

Anyone interested can contact aileen.holloway@bluecross.org.uk or telephone 01993 825533 (she works only Monday to Wednesday). Tell her your a friend of mine and she'll probably trust you - she seems to think I'm a good chap

Cheers

Steven

[michaeldr]

No paintings or pictures, but another good read on horses in WWI

"Britain's military use of horses 1914-1918"

see http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m227...i_13951131/pg_1

[Ozzie]

Thanks for the heads up on the article, mate. Looks good. I have put it favs to digest in full later.

Cheers

Kim

[Guest illusioni]

WOW - you will NOT believe this - BUT I have a contemporary print (from 1916/17) of Goodbye Old Man - It belonged to my grandmother who died in 1979. BUT it's a black and white print (about 30" high).

Until today I never knew it was a colour picture originally - I ALWAYS knew it as B/W Ink picture. In MANY respects it is more distressing in it's simpler form. If anyone is interested I'll try to post a piccy of it...