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Lot Essay
At the outbreak of the First World War, Munnings attempted to enlist but was declared unfit for service due to blindness in one eye. Through the art critic, Paul Konody, Munnings was appointed an official Canadian War Artist and attached to the Canadian Cavalry Brigade who were serving in France under the command of General Jack Seely (later Lord Mottistone).
The famous series of pictures that Munnings executed of the Canadians in France were exhibited in London after the War and helped establish his reputation throughout North America. General Seely recalled, 'It had never been the intention of the Canadian authorities that Munnings should join the front line but this whimsical and gallant soul thought that it was just the best place in which to be. And so it turned out, for by common consent, his paintings and drawings of the Canadian horses, close up against the front line, are some of the most brilliant things he has ever done'.
A bonviveur, Munnings was extremely popular amongst the Canadians and it marked the beginning of a number of important friendships. Born in 1883, Capt. William James Shaughnessy was a junior officer serving with the Canadian Irish Rangers and was an aide-de-camp to General Sir Arthur Currie. Shaughnessy was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and Laval University, Montreal and had practiced as a barrister in Canada before the War. He and Munnings struck up an instant rapport. In the second volume of his war-time diary (October 11th 1917 - June 28th 1918), Shaughnessy makes a number of references to Munnings:
Sunday Jan 27 - Worked in office in morning - Mr. Alfred Munnings came to stay. He is a great animal painter and has come out to do some work in France. Went to Boulogne in afternoon and met Brig. Gen. Seely and Prince Antoine d'Orleans - they came back to dinner.
Sunday May 12 - Worked in office all morning - in afternoon went for a walk with Mr Munnings the artist who is staying with us. We watched the tennis for a while after which we went over to the Forestry Mess - Father Black and Pat Dunlop arrived while we were there.
Monday July 1 - Worked in office all morning - in afternoon went with A. J. Munnings to Canadian Corps Sports at Tinques - this was a tremendous affair and there were about 25,000 people present watching H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, General Birdwood, General Monash (Australian), Gen. Horne... and many others. Left there at about 6.30 and brought Gen. Balfour back to dinner.
The messing arrangements at the Canadian Corps Headquarters were divided in two. The Senior Mess consisted of General Officers headed by the Corps Commander, General Currie, his senior staff and Divisional Headquarters when not in their forward battle stations. The other staff officers such as the junior staff officers, ADC's and other assorted figures such as Munnings dined in the Junior Mess. It was an established tradition that periodically the Junior Mess invited the senior officers to join them for dinner. In the spring or summer of 1918 one of these dinners was held in the Junior Mess who had taken over a bar called 'Tante Bob'. The establishment had an oval mirror hanging behind the long bar, and just prior to dinner the junior officers decided that they should put an effigy of a bartender in the mirror to commemorate the occasion. Munnings agreed but insisted he needed a model and selected Capt. Shaughnessy. Munnings dashed off the portrait and it was duly installed behind the bar. It was christened 'George the Barman' and toasted ceremoniously during a riotous evening.
When the Brigade evacuated the area, Capt. Shaughnessy removed the painting and brought it home with him. Shaughnessy went on to distinguish himself in public and professional life. He became Lt.-Colonel of the 199th Canadian Battalion, Lt.-Colonel of the Candian Militia, and Vice-President of the Royal Empire Society. He was a Director of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and the Canadian Salt Company. He succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Shaughnessy in 1923 and died on 4 October 1938.
The famous series of pictures that Munnings executed of the Canadians in France were exhibited in London after the War and helped establish his reputation throughout North America. General Seely recalled, 'It had never been the intention of the Canadian authorities that Munnings should join the front line but this whimsical and gallant soul thought that it was just the best place in which to be. And so it turned out, for by common consent, his paintings and drawings of the Canadian horses, close up against the front line, are some of the most brilliant things he has ever done'.
A bonviveur, Munnings was extremely popular amongst the Canadians and it marked the beginning of a number of important friendships. Born in 1883, Capt. William James Shaughnessy was a junior officer serving with the Canadian Irish Rangers and was an aide-de-camp to General Sir Arthur Currie. Shaughnessy was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and Laval University, Montreal and had practiced as a barrister in Canada before the War. He and Munnings struck up an instant rapport. In the second volume of his war-time diary (October 11th 1917 - June 28th 1918), Shaughnessy makes a number of references to Munnings:
Sunday Jan 27 - Worked in office in morning - Mr. Alfred Munnings came to stay. He is a great animal painter and has come out to do some work in France. Went to Boulogne in afternoon and met Brig. Gen. Seely and Prince Antoine d'Orleans - they came back to dinner.
Sunday May 12 - Worked in office all morning - in afternoon went for a walk with Mr Munnings the artist who is staying with us. We watched the tennis for a while after which we went over to the Forestry Mess - Father Black and Pat Dunlop arrived while we were there.
Monday July 1 - Worked in office all morning - in afternoon went with A. J. Munnings to Canadian Corps Sports at Tinques - this was a tremendous affair and there were about 25,000 people present watching H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, General Birdwood, General Monash (Australian), Gen. Horne... and many others. Left there at about 6.30 and brought Gen. Balfour back to dinner.
The messing arrangements at the Canadian Corps Headquarters were divided in two. The Senior Mess consisted of General Officers headed by the Corps Commander, General Currie, his senior staff and Divisional Headquarters when not in their forward battle stations. The other staff officers such as the junior staff officers, ADC's and other assorted figures such as Munnings dined in the Junior Mess. It was an established tradition that periodically the Junior Mess invited the senior officers to join them for dinner. In the spring or summer of 1918 one of these dinners was held in the Junior Mess who had taken over a bar called 'Tante Bob'. The establishment had an oval mirror hanging behind the long bar, and just prior to dinner the junior officers decided that they should put an effigy of a bartender in the mirror to commemorate the occasion. Munnings agreed but insisted he needed a model and selected Capt. Shaughnessy. Munnings dashed off the portrait and it was duly installed behind the bar. It was christened 'George the Barman' and toasted ceremoniously during a riotous evening.
When the Brigade evacuated the area, Capt. Shaughnessy removed the painting and brought it home with him. Shaughnessy went on to distinguish himself in public and professional life. He became Lt.-Colonel of the 199th Canadian Battalion, Lt.-Colonel of the Candian Militia, and Vice-President of the Royal Empire Society. He was a Director of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and the Canadian Salt Company. He succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Shaughnessy in 1923 and died on 4 October 1938.