Goodbye Old Man/A Soldier’s Kiss. Painting by Fortunino Matania, poem by Henry Chappell.

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Steve Westmacott shared a link.

G’day and this week we explain what is probably the most misinterpreted misunderstood image from World War One.
The poem ‘A Soldier’s Kiss’ pops up regularly on FaceBook and with no offence meant it is clear from the many comments always made that people do not usually understand what is happening in the painting.
Of course the other big misunderstanding is that the picture stems from that poem but it is actually the other way around with the Blue Cross commissioning the painting in 1916 as a fund raising exercise to help improve the health and veterinary services for WWI horses.
The poem came later.
The Blue Cross commissioned Fortunino Matania to do the painting, Henry Chappell later wrote the poem about the painting’s depiction.
I give you my apologies now that my poem recital isn’t on par with Leonard Teale.
Cheers cobbers.
(And if you get to the end of the video, please hit that ‘subscribe’ button. Thanks.)

Henry Chappell. ‘Goodbye, Old Man’ This painting of a soldier bidding farewell to his fatally injured horse was commissioned by the Blue Cross in 1916 to raise money to help horses on active service. The artist Fortunino Matania was one of the most accomplished illustrators of his time and his wartime work was immensely popular. During WWI Matania mainly worked for the British magazine The Sphere, usually producing one full page illustration a week. He was also employed by the British government and commissioned by individual British regiments, he visited the front several times allowing him to view conditions first hand. It was only after ‘Goodbye Old Man’ was completed and on display that Henry Chappell wrote his poem ‘A Soldier’s Kiss’ about the painting. Most people think it was the other way round.