Top 5 New Zealand Artists: From McCahon to Hodgkins
New Zealand boasts a rich yet often overlooked artistic community shaped by five key individuals. Colin McCahon (1919-1987) aimed to define a New Zealand identity through his landscapes and biblical themes, earning acclaim during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1980, Trevor Moffitt captured societal issues in his work 'No Son of Mine Goes to University.' Gottfried Lindauer (1839-1926) was known for his lifelike Māori portraits, with one piece of chief Harawira Te Mihakai selling for NZ$1,009,008 at auction in 2023. Rita Angus (1908-1970) advocated for modernism and independence, receiving recognition after her death. Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947) was the first woman to teach at Académie Colarossi in 1910 and the first New Zealander to showcase work at the Royal Academy in 1903. Their contributions are essential to New Zealand's cultural legacy.
Key facts
- Colin McCahon was born in 1919 in Timaru and grew up in Dunedin.
- McCahon's 1945 commission 'Otago Peninsula' depicted the New Zealand landscape symbolically.
- Trevor Moffitt's 1980 work 'No Son of Mine Goes to University' showed his father with a horse racing newspaper.
- Gottfried Lindauer was born in 1839 in Pilsen and trained at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.
- Henry Partridge commissioned over 60 portraits from Lindauer, donated to Auckland Art Gallery in 1915.
- Lindauer's portrait of Māori chief Harawira Te Mihakai sold for NZ$1,009,008 in 2023.
- Rita Angus studied at Canterbury College School of Art and created 'Rutu' in the 1930s.
- Frances Hodgkins became the first female lecturer at the Académie Colarossi in Paris in 1910.
Entities
Artists
- Colin McCahon
- Trevor Moffitt
- Gottfried Lindauer
- Rita Angus
- Frances Hodgkins
- Toss Wollaston
- Emily Carr
- T. Boughton Wilby
- Isabel Field
- Henry Partridge
- Harawira Te Mihakai
Institutions
- Dunedin School of Art
- Otago Art Society
- Auckland City Art Gallery
- Elam School of Fine Arts
- Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
- Canterbury College School of Art
- Royal Academy in London
- Académie Colarossi
- Calico Printers' Association
- Auckland Art Gallery
- New Zealand Academy of Arts
Locations
- New Zealand
- Timaru
- Dunedin
- Wellington
- Auckland
- Woodville
- Christchurch
- Pilsen
- Melbourne
- Australia
- Great Britain
- France
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Morocco
- Concarneau
- Manchester
- Rakaia River
- Hokonui Hills
- Waikanae Cemetery