KEY POINTS:
An auction in Sydney of the famous Gallipoli watercolour Simpson and His Donkey, by New Zealand artist Horace Moore-Jones, has struck a few raw nerves in the ranks of senior members of the Auckland Commerce Club.
"When I saw that I thought, it's like everything else ... the
painting, that horse, Phar Lap. The Australians were claiming that too," said club patron Max Cooper.
The auction house expects bids of A$30,000 ($33,900) to $50,000.
Mr Cooper said the club paid £300 for the painting of the Australian folk hero of World War I in 1926.
The club bought it from the widow of the artist, who had died in 1922 after trying to save people in a fire at the Hamilton Hotel. She assured the club it was the original, said Mr Cooper.
It was understood the work was done in 1917 and the artist had done a copy to send to an exhibition in England just in case the ship carrying it was sunk.
That copy ended up in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Close to the hearts of members of the former Commercial Travellers' Club was the association with Anzac and the painting, which was proudly displayed at the club until 1995.
It was presented on permanent loan to the Auckland War Memorial Museum for safekeeping.
Knowing the background of the paintings, Mr Cooper and fellow club member Pat Sheahan were shocked and puzzled this week when they saw publicity about another painting - same subject same artist - being offered by Sydney auction house Lawson-Menzies on April 30.
"Several members called me to ask: 'Is it the club's one going up for auction?' said Mr Sheahan.
"I want to know what documentation the auctioneers have to show this one is an original, because we think the club's must be the original original."
The Weekend Herald put the question to the auction house's head of art, Caroline Cooper. She said no claim was made that the one being offered by a private collector at auction was "the original".
"There are several versions of the work and this is one of them," said Ms Cooper.
"It was painted in 1920 and a number of other versions were painted earlier so it's probably not No 1."
Ms Cooper reported much interest in the painting from New Zealand institutions and also military enthusiasts in New Zealand and Australia.
Auckland War Memorial Museum historian Rose Young said she knew of five other versions.
The Auckland and the Canberra works were of similar size and were signed and dated 1915, though she suspected that date referred to the event rather than the date it was painted.
"We believe those two are originals and the others were painted later."
Today, a full-size colour photograph of the painting hangs by the fireplace in the Auckland club's lounge.
