Legends of the Front
Art prints by Matt Gauldie
“Legends of the Front” is a limited-edition series of art prints by New Zealand artist Matt Gauldie, who served as the official New Zealand Defence Force Artist from 2004 to 2015. The series commemorates the gallantry and personal sacrifice of New Zealand war heroes, particularly those who served.
A donation from each sale goes towards the New Zealand Remembrance Army’s work.
The paintings focus on specific historical figures and their heroic actions, aiming for historical accuracy through collaboration with military historians.
The series includes prints of figures such as:
- William James Hardham VC (Victoria Cross recipient from the Second Boer War).
- Colonel Frank Malone (“Col Malone/Gallipoli Sunset”).
- Charles Upham VC (double Victoria Cross recipient from WWII).
The artwork is intended to commemorate duty and the “heroes [who] leave a wake behind them that ripples through the next generations”.
Gauldie’s extensive experience as an official war artist, including deployments to Afghanistan, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands, gives him a unique perspective on the realities of conflict, which informs his commemorative work.