A still-life oil painting of war items by one of Aotearoa’s most famous artists is up for auction at Webb’s Auction House in Auckland on March 24 and is expected to fetch around $75,000-$100,000.
The painting Souvenirs from the Field of Battle (c 1890) by Charles Frederick Goldie depicts a military helmet, an old flintlock holster pistol, spurs, scimitars in a brass case and a water bottle. It precedes Frederick’s famous paintings of Māori elders and was completed when the artist was 20 years old, making it one of his earliest works.
“This painting, created when the artist was still a student of Louis John Steele, already bears the subtleties of encoded symbolism, the instantly recognisable warm palette, and a technical virtuosity Goldie would go on to perfect in later years,” said Mark Hutchins-Pond, a senior art specialist at Webb’s, one of New Zealand’s longest-running auction houses.

The painting will be available to view at Webb’s Mount Eden Gallery in Auckland from March 19-24 ahead of the live auction.