Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1878, Harold Power was exhibiting with the Melbourne Art Club when he was only 17 years old. At 20, he moved to Adelaide where his special ability as a painter of animals was recognised by a commission from the S.A. Gallery and his talents in this area were later honoured by a membership of the Society of Animal Painters.
In 1905 he left Australia for Paris, where he studied at the Académie Julian for two years. Power joined the Australian Light Horse on the outbreak of World War I. His subsequent war works are on view at the Australian War Museum and at the Imperial War Museum in London. He was asked to paint the opening of Parliament House, Canberra, by the Duke of York in 1927. Power died in 1951.
