BONHAMS TO SELL MISSING LONGSTAFF PAINTING

A PAINTING INSPIRED BY THE PSYCHIC SPIRITS OF DEAD SOLDIERS AND BOUGHT BY A GRIEVING SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE WHO LOST A SON IN WW1 IS FOR SALE AS PART OF THE OWSTON COLLECTION IN SYDNEY WITH BONHAMS ON 25-6. JUNE. THE PAINTING BY WILLIAM FRANCIS LONGSTAFF (AUSTRALIAN, 1879-1953) TITLED 'THE REARGUARD (THE SPIRIT OF ANZAC), IS A HUGE OIL ON CANVAS, 53 9/16 x 106 5/16in, AND IS ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR $20,000-40,000. SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE PURCHASED THE PAINTING DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTIST FOR HIS OWN COLLECTION IN 1928. THE PAINTING IS AN ICONIC IMAGE, BELIEVED MISSING UNTIL NOW, BY THE OFFICIAL WAR ARTIST, WILL LONGSTAFF. IT IS ONE OF A SERIES OF ONLY SIX PAINTINGS WHICH REPRESENT THE PINNACLE OF THE ARTIST'S CAREER, BEGINNING WITH HIS BEST KNOWN WORK, MENIN GATE. LONGSTAFF HAD ATTENDED THE UNVEILING CEREMONY OF THE MENIN GATE MEMORIAL IN YPRES ON 24.JULY.1927. HE WAS SO MOVED BY THE CEREMONY THAT, DURING A MIDNIGHT WALK ALONG THE MENIN ROAD, HE IMAGINED A VISION OF STEEL-HELMETED SPIRITS RISING FROM THE MOONLIT CORNFIELDS. IT IS SAID THAT, FOLLOWING HIS RETURN TO LONDON, HE PAINTED THE WORK IN ONE SESSION. MARY HORSBURGH, WHO HAD WORKED IN A BRITISH CANTEEN DURING THE WAR, MAY HAVE INFLUENCED HIM. SHE HAD MET HIM DURING THE FATEFUL EVENING WALK, ND TOLD HIM THAT SHE COULD FEEL 'HER DEAD BOYS' ALL AROUND HER. 'THE REARGUARD (THE SPIRIT OF ANZAC), PRESENTS A GHOSTLY ARRAY OD SOLDIERS LINING UP NEAR THE BEACH AT GALLIPOLI IN THE BLEAK DAWN, WITH DEPARTING TRANSPORTS AND WARSHIPS BARELY VISIBLE ON THE MISTY HORIZON. BONHAMS WILL SELL THE PAINTING IN SYDNEY AT THE OVERSEAS PASSENGER TERMINAL AT CIRCULAR QUAY OVERLOOKING THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE AND HARBOUR BRIDGE ON 25-6.JUNE.