Peter McIntyre’s World War Two

The year 2020 marks both the 75th anniversary of the end of World War Two and 25 years since the passing of Peter McIntyre. From his appointment as New Zealand’s official war artist in 1941 until the end of the war, McIntyre shadowed the life of New Zealand’s Second Expeditionary Force. He is remembered today as one of the most significant New Zealand artists of the 20th century. Simon McIntyre, fellow artist and son of Peter, talks here about his father’s legacy.

What inspires you about your father’s art?

Having a father as an artist means that I have been surrounded by art all my life. That in itself is inspiring, and led me to believe I too could be an artist. But there are so many other attributes my father demonstrated: extraordinary skills that were evident in his early drawings and later honed at the Slade School of Art in London; and a beautiful sensitivity to materials, no matter what medium, subject or scale he worked in. His work ethic was phenomenal – he painted every day and often had no idea what day of the week it was. He quietly modelled what it was to be an artist and celebrated my decision to go to art school.

What is a favourite piece of yours and why?

Such a hard question, but I often come back to two paintings we live with in our Devonport home. One is the cover of Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand. Painted in the 1960s, it depicts two Māori children in the landscape of Kākahi with the marae in the background. It is a classic McIntyre work of that period – powerful, empathetic and made with obvious fondness for the children and the place. He loved Kākahi and the people of the King Country deeply and that fed much of his output in the second half of his life. These were the paintings that resonated so strongly with New Zealanders and made him a household name. The other go-to painting for me is anything but typical McIntyre. It is based on the Australian outback, which is emphasised through the use of a magnificent deep orange. But it is also the most ‘abstract’ body of work he ever made. The shapes and colours of the outback allowed him some artistic licence to enjoy playing with composition and pictorial space, to float objects and figures in that space. The paintings are little known because he only exhibited them in Australia.

Which of the Peter McIntyre’s World War Two stamps resonates with you the most?

I love all his war work, but in this group I find it hard to go past General Hospital, Crete. In his autobiography, The Painted Years, he tells a fantastic story of sitting in the scrub on Crete, sketching a watercolour of German parachutists landing on the town of Galatos nearby. Another Kiwi soldier crashed through the undergrowth, looked at Peter, did a double take, shook his head and declared, “She’s right, Dig. P’raps I’m nuts”!

Does your family have any other significant connections to World War Two?

The other most significant connection for the family was with my uncle, Douglas Fraser, who also fought in World War Two. He was critically wounded on Crete and became a prisoner of war in Germany, where he credited a German doctor with saving his life. In later years, Peter and Douglas spent hours on our cottage front lawn, drinking coffee or wine and talking about the war.

Has your father’s legacy affected his descendants?

Despite his tremendously successful career, I can’t help thinking that he would have gained just as much enjoyment from the impact his legacy left on the McIntyre whānau. If he were alive today he would be amazed at how many of the whānau have not only built careers in art, but also excelled in their various disciplines. He did get to see me become a professional, exhibiting artist and I loved his support, which was unwavering, despite the fact that we worked at different ends of the painting spectrum! I have been joined in the artist ranks by my daughter Emma, who recently moved to Los Angeles on a Fulbright Scholarship after establishing herself as an exciting emerging artist in New Zealand. She is now studying for her Master of Fine Arts at ArtCenter in Pasedena. My nephew Matthew McIntyre Wilson is a highly acclaimed object maker, weaver and jeweller with numerous works in Te Papa’s collection. Finally my sister Sara recently had an exhibition of her photographs at the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, which both supported and celebrated the launch of her book, Observations of a Rural Nurse. The photographs and the book have attracted an incredible response from critics and members of the public alike. Sara’s work is an intimate reflection on King Country life and traverses a lot of the same territory as Peter McIntyre’s 1972 book, Kākahi, but through photography and her own vision.

How would you like Peter McIntyre to be remembered by New Zealanders?

As a great painter and one of the most important New Zealand artists of the 20th century. Initially as a war artist and then post-war he made New Zealanders realise that art could be more than a Brueghel print, that they could connect with it and live with it. He painted New Zealand in a way that people could absolutely relate to. His book, Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand, graced the coffee table of thousands of New Zealand homes in the 1960s. He was also multi-talented – at various stages of his career he was a writer, a commentator, a cartoonist, a theatre designer and an illustrator. He capped that off by singlehandedly building the family home in Wellington! In short he was an artist who made a difference.

A lifetime’s timeline

Left Dunedin for London aged 19 in 1929.

Born 4 July 1910 in Dunedin. Lived in London through the depression years working as a stage designer and illustrator. Appointed as the NZ Official War Artist a year into the war. Produced eight books in total starting with The Painted Years and followed by; Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand, Peter McIntyre’s Pacific, Peter McIntyre’s West, Kākahi, Peter McIntyre: War Artist, Peter McIntyre’s Wellington and McIntyre Country.

Died 11 September 1995 in Wellington.

Studied at the Slade 1929-1932. Joined the NZ Division at the outbreak of WWII and served as a gunner in Egypt. Returned to NZ after the war and became a full-time artist at a time when very few New Zealanders were buying original art.

The Peter McIntyre’s World War Twostamps and collectables were issued on 5 August 2020. Stamps, miniature sheets and presentation packs are available now.