Carillon Fine Art Print

(Reference: BBJ103)

During the course of the First World War, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force suffered 59,483 casualties of which 18,166 were fatal.  For a country whose population was less than a million in 1914, it was a very heavy sacrifice.

In the light of such a sacrifice Will Longstaff decided to honour the New Zealand fallen by painting a scene depicting the spiritual images of soldiers gathering against the outline of a moonlit sky.  This was the fourth painting in the series following a similar theme.  The previous three paintings were very popular with the public and included The Menin Gate at Midnight (1927), Immortal Shrine (1928) and The Ghosts of Vimy Ridge (1931).

The painting Carillon is said to show the ghosts of New Zealand soldiers on the beaches of Belgium listening to the carillon bells in their home country and was painted in 1932.

Lord Wakefield presented the original painting to the New Zealand Government in 1934 – 1935.  It is oil on canvas and measures 1370mm x 2689mm.

The painting is permanently housed at Archives New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand and is occasionally loaned for exhibition.

The painting was on loan to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra for an exhibition there in 2001.  It was previously exhibited at the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum at Waiouru, New Zealand.

Price £30.00