Died 1922 54

 

Horace Moore-Jones was the painter of one the most famous ANZAC images, “The Man with the Donkey”. Although the painting and its subject have been the subject of historical debate, the image of an unarmed soldier carrying a wounded ‘digger’ on his donkey (the animal that carried Christ) has become an iconic image of sacrifice and valour from the unsuccessful ANZAC campaign at Gallipoli.

 

Moore-Jones was a professional artist who enlisted in 1914 while coincidentally in London studying and working for Pearson’s magazine. His artistic skills saw him posted to the ANZAC Printing Section where he was employed sketching various military images including topography and troop deployments. After being wounded in 1915 Moore-Jones returned to London where he continued to paint. After being classified as unfit for further service he returned to New Zealand where he exhibited and lectured on the Gallipoli experience.

The most famous of his paintings was produced in Dunedin in 1917. Moore-Jones died from severe burns he suffered while rescuing guests trapped in the premises of a Hamilton Motel in 1922. The Man and Donkey image became probably the most spontaneously recognized first world war images in both Australia and New Zealand.

Moore-Jones, Horace
Died 3 April 1922
aged 54 years
Block F Row 37 Plot 102

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