Canadian war horses ready for their close-up in new exhibition at Nickle Galleries

A new exhibition featuring the work of Sir Alfred Munnings opens at Nickle Galleries at the University of Calgary Thursday afternoon.

A new exhibit at Calgary’s Nickle Galleries offers visitors a glimpse into Canada’s wartime past.

Munnings--The War Years features 41 paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings depicting Canadian cavalry during the First World War.

Munnings, Britain’s most renowned painter of horses, created them in 1918 when he was on assignment with the Canadian War Memorials Fund.

The exhibit also includes artifacts from the Lord Strathcona’s horse regiment.

“Very excited to bring in works of art of this calibre from an important period of Canadian history that we don’t ordinarily examine at Nickle Galleries,” said Michele Hardy, curatorial director at Nickle Galleries.

Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson spoke at the opening event Wednesday night.

The travelling exhibition opens to the public Thursday afternoon and runs through Dec. 6.