Events

Auckland's Northern Club have purchased by private treaty a highly important Frances Hodgkins oil 'Houses and Outhouses, Purbeck'.

Houses and Outhouses, Purbeck c. 1941

Mary Kisler, Senior Curator at the Auckland Art Gallery, said at the unveiling of the painting at the Northern Club on May 6th that, 'Houses and Outhouses, Purbeck' is one of Frances Hodgkins’ key late works. It is considered to be one of the most significant and largest oils she painted, equalled only by Spanish Shrine, which is held in the Auckland Art Gallery’s collection. It is a leading work from among her wartime paintings, when she was at the peak of her ability but suffering considerable personal privations. Her health deteriorated swiftly after the war, making these wartime works especially important. Exhibited to acclaim at the time, it was described by the artist as 'unquestionably my high spot.’ Hodgkins had a tremendous reputation in England when this work was painted. She had been invited to show at the New York World’s Fair by the Director of the National Gallery in England and had been selected to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale before war intervened. The painting was first shown in the 1941 Leicester Galleries exhibition. The reviewer, artist John Piper who extolled Hodgkin’s ‘songlike expression’ and focussed on her achievement as a colourist, borrowing terms, as others have from music: ‘... it means talking scintillating and explosions, chromatic runs and exciting leaps...’ Acutely he also described the work as an example of her ‘war art’ not because the work was of ‘tank traps’, but because ‘she has found... subjects that are symbolic enough: ‘railed in areas, concentration camps, of rusty milk cans, farm implements in disuse or dereliction, a man plucking fowl in an outhouse’. This interpretation places this and other related work by Hodgkins squarely within the context of neoromanticism. In Horizon magazine he wrote about how Hodgkins work ‘has a sense of the times. As this is wartime and she is a good painter her recent art is war art.... Described these subjects are apt to sound simply ‘modern’. In fact they are the times and timeless.’

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Peter O'Hagan 1942 - 2013

Peter O’Hagan sadly passed away in Sydney on Tuesday 12th March 2013. Peter’s early career as an architect and as a curator for the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (at Highwic House in Auckland and Kemp House in Northland), combined with his love for the "finer things" in life are all elements that influenced his painting. Favourite subjects included lavish European interiors, fine wines and vibrant outdoor scenes. As a student, Peter received tuition from notable New Zealand artists such as Patrick Hanly and Agnes Wood. It was Hanly who encouraged him in 1984 to relinquish his career as an architect in order to pursue his artistic flair. O’Hagan’s paintings have been purchased for leading corporate collections such as Air New Zealand, Hyatt Hotels, the Hôtel de Crillon (Paris), Venice Simplon Orient Express, The Government of Macau, Dampierre Champagne and of course Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, where he was artist in residence at their Manoir Verzy in 1998. More recently Peter had lived and worked in Australia, but he continued to travel and paint watercolours and gouaches in his fresh calligraphic style. He exhibited at 'home' in Auckland and at other leading galleries in London, Paris and Sydney, organised by his agent Jonathan Gooderham, owner of Jonathan Grant Galleries in Auckland. Jonathan says “We have had a long and happy association with Peter, having exhibited his paintings for almost 30 years. Peter’s exhibition openings were always colourful events and in his heyday he always insisted on serving the best Champagne at his vernissages and created the most spectacular flower arrangements himself”.

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Ray Ching: End to the Squandering of Beauty (Entry of the Birds of Paradise into Western Thought).

This painting is an allegory depicting the arrival of the Birds of Paradise into European culture. These birds came as skins, prepared by New Guinea Natives who had not preserved any of the birds’ wings or feet. This gave rise to stories that, as birds without feet couldn’t ever come to land; they must therefore have come from Paradise. All of the birds have been painted in their life size and the painting shows a noisy gathering of most familiar, European birds, swirling around, all screeching and calling at the arrival of the first Birds of Paradise, which are carried in a hammock by two young herons, rather like the stork, in legend, which is responsible for delivering our babies. The first Birds of Paradise arrived in Seville in 1522, the second came to Prague, the third to London, then Paris and this is imagined in a fantastical landscape running along the base of the picture. The Birds of Paradise included by the artist in the painting are: Splendid Astrapia, Carola’s Parotia, Paradise Riflebird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Superb bird of Paradise, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Wilson’s Bird of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Blue Bird of Paradise, Red Bird of Paradise, Wallace Standard wing, Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Pale-billed Sicklebill. The painting takes its title from a quotation by the scientist and discoverer of many Birds of Paradise, Alfred Russel Wallace in his great work, The Malay Archipeligo, 1856: “I gazed upon this thing of beauty. I thought of the long ages of the past, during which the successive generations of this little creature had run their course, year by year, of being born, and living and dying amid these dark and gloomy woods, with no intelligent eye to gaze upon their loveliness – to all appearance such a wanton waste of beauty.” This painting was commissioned in 2011 by Sir David Attenborough and Ray Ching painted the work between August and December 2011. It features on the cover and pages 8 to 19 of Sir David’s most recent book, Drawn from Paradise, The Discovery, Art and Natural History of the Birds of Paradise, published by HarperCollins, Sept. 2012

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Drawn from Paradise by Sir David Attenborough, featuring work by Raymond Ching

Raymond Ching commissioned to paint book cover

Sir David Attenborough, Ray Ching and Errol Fuller at Sir David's book launch in London

Raymond Ching has recently been commissioned by Sir David Attenborough to paint the large oil used to illustrate the cover of his latest book, Drawn from Paradise. Drawn from Paradise is Sir David Attenborough’s journey through the cultural history of the birds of paradise, one of the most exquisite and extravagant, colourful and intriguing families of birds. In this lavishly illustrated book Sir David Attenborough and Errol Fuller trace the natural history of these enigmatic birds through their depiction in western works of art throughout the centuries. The book features illustrations of birds of paradise by such artists as Jacques Barraband, William Hart, John Gould, Rubens and Breughel, and of course Ray Ching.

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Piera McArthur receives New Year's Honours Award

Piera McArthur ONZM

Jonathan Grant Galleries is delighted to congratulate Piera McArthur on her well deserved ONZM award. Piera McArthur became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to art and was amongst the list of individuals named in the New Year's Honours List. "The contemporary artist is known for her vivid interpretations of people and movement through works where colour is a major character. In 1990, she held her first solo exhibition by a New Zealander in Moscow at the New Tretiakov Gallery, and lived and worked for many years in Paris. Since returning home she has held many exhibits."

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Presentation of WWII Photographs to the Auckland War Memorial Museum

Jonathan and Sir Don McKinnon viewing the exhibition

On 5th November 2010 Claire Colvin presented an extensive collection of World War II photographs to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. They were accepted by the Acting Chairman of the Museum, Sir Don McKinnon. The photographs were part of the Colvin Collection, which formed the basis of the November exhibition Peter McIntyre: 2nd NZEF War Drawings. At the presentation were Neville Colvin's daughter Claire and his granddaughter Jess, who had travelled to New Zealand from Cornwall for the exhibition. The Auckland War Memorial Museum research library had been a source of inspiration and invaluable assistance to Jonathan during his research into these historical drawings.

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Peter Waddell Meets Mrs Hilary Clinton at Blair House, Washington DC

Peter Waddell is introduced to Hilary Clinton at Blair House

A recent event at Blair House in Washington DC saw New Zealand artist Peter Waddell introduced to Hilary Clinton. The event utilised one of Peter's paintings as the official invitation image. Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States and is located in Washington DC. Peter Waddell is the current artist-in-residence at Georgetown's Tudor Place Historic House and Garden.

New Zealand Artist Peter Waddell Wins Award in Washington DC

Jonathan Grant Galleries congratulates Peter Waddell on winning the "Excellence in an Artistic Discipline" Award at the 25th Washington DC Mayor's Arts Awards. The prestigious Awards are funded by the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and recognise artistic excellence and service. New Zealand-born Waddell has been based in Washington DC since 1995. Since arriving in the city he has worked tirelessly to create exquisite oil scenes which provide an insight into the historical past of Washington DC's architecture and people. He is currently artist-in-residence at Georgetown's Tudor Place Historic House and Garden and has executed paintings for many collections, including Mount Vernon, the Octagon in Washington DC and Belair Mansion in Bowie, Maryland. An excellent little film has been made to recognise Peter's achievement - view it on YouTube by visiting the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUG4SNcLP0g Read more about the Awards by visiting the following link: http://thedcarts.wordpress.com/mayorsartsawards/

Painting by Susan Wilson Purchased for Noteworthy Collection

Susan Wilson, Il Re Pastore, 91 x 71 cm, oil on canvas

A recent still life painting by Susan Wilson has been purchased by the Hospital de Los Venerables Sacerdotes (Velázquez Research Centre) in Seville, Spain for its contemporary art collection. Il Re Pastore was in the Premio de Pintura Focus-Abengoa painting awards for 2009: http://focus.abengoa.es/castellano/premios/index.htm

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The Louise Perkins Prize in Art History Awarded to Victoria Bayly

Victoria Bayly (far right) with Terry and Marion Mikkelsen, parents of Louise Perkins.

In March 2010, Jonathan Grant Galleries' Research Assistant Victoria Bayly was awarded the Louise Perkins Prize in Art History for 2009, for consistently achieving the highest grades in Art History throughout her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland. A special ceremony was held at the Gus Fisher Gallery to award the prize. Victoria is the second Jonathan Grant Galleries staff member to receive the award - the inaugural winner being past employee Jemma Field.

Susan Wilson wins major prize in the Lynn Painter-Stainers Competition

Susan Wilson. The Oxford Undergraduate Contemplates the Poems of Siegfried Sassoon.

Jonathan Grant Galleries congratulate artist Susan Wilson on her runner up prize in the 2007 Lynn Painter-Stainers Competition for the work The Oxford Undergraduate Contemplates the Poems of Siegfried Sassoon. The Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize was established in 2005 to promote painting from direct observation. Wilson has experienced great success of late, with another of her paintings, Idaho included in the annual Threadneedle Prize exhibition. The Threadneedle Prize is an annual open-selection exhibition at The Mall Galleries in Britain. The painting is now included in the collection of designers Thornton & Bregazzi. More recently Susan's painting "Il Re Pastore" has been preselected for an art prize in the Premio de Pintura Focus-Abengoa 2009 in Seville at the  Hospital de Los Venerables (Velasquez Research Centre).

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Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton supports Peter O'Hagan Exhibition

Peter O'Hagan painting at the Manior de Verzy, accompanied by La Grande Dame, one of his favourite Champagnes.

The luxury brand of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has generously provided their support for Peter O'Hagan's latest exhibition, titled The Champagne Houses of LVMH. Having previously been awarded 'Artist in Residence' at Veuve Clicquot's Manoir Verzy, O'Hagan has consistently illustrated his love of Champagne throughout his artistic career, and this latest exhibition includes a collection of paintings dedicated to the history of the Champagne region.

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Goldie paintings reunited

Jonathan with Goldie's Te Aho and Nikorima & Nicotina

Two Charles Goldie paintings - Te Aho o te Rangi Wharepu (1910 and Nikorima and Nicotina were brought back together recently in Jonathan Grant Galleries after over 90 years apart. These two works were exhibited alongside each other at the Auckland Society of Arts in 1910 and were more recently reproduced in Roger Blackley's book Goldie

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Simon Richardson 'An Otago Perspective'

featured in the New Zealand Herald, November, 2006

Gallery owner Jonathan Gooderham with the painting of Anton Oliver that sold for $16,750 NZD.

Thursday, November 16th, 2006 “Courage, confidence, individuality, intelligence, stubborn dedication, love and a recognition that in art maturity builds slowly and without artifice. More work than talk. That’s where art like this comes from, and its quiet depths will be a pleasure to ponder for all the years to come.” Grahame Sydney of Central Otago spoke of Simon Richardson’s most recent exhibition, which opened at Jonathan Grant Galleries on November the 25th, 2006. The exhibition was held at Jonathan Grant Gallery in November 2006 and featured seven figurative oil paintings including a self-portrait, two reclining nudes and several other portraits. Richardson paints in oils and shows through his work influences of the Venetian masters and Spanish realists. He is best known for his famed work of New Zealand poet Hone Tuwhare; which sold for $20,000 two years ago. The exhibition caused quite a stir among the media as well as attracting intrigued art collectors. This was due to the controversial painting of the All Black hooker Anton Oliver that was in the exhibition. The painting featured in the third page of the New Zealand Herald in the hands of the Gallery owner, Jonathan Gooderham. The nude portrait, painted by Simon Richardson, is titled 'Back Field' and features Oliver nude, facing a wall. The traditional rugby fraternity reacted with consternation to Oliver’s candour. The All Black great Colin Meads, aged 70, commented: ‘we’re meant to be the salt of the earth, down-to-earth, grassroots, and bloody good guys. You don’t pose bloody nude, or get a painting of yourself in the nude.’ When Oliver was questioned about the work he replied ‘I get naked around 30 guys every day, but getting a chap to paint me was making me squeamish, so I thought I’d get out of my comfort zone and give it a go.’ The oil painting sold for $16,750 and is one of five works that were sold within two days of the exhibitions catalogue being posted. Richardson remarks on Oliver’s endeavour, ‘it is a brave thing for him to do, but Anton is very much his own man.’

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Peggy Guggenheim Internship in Venice, Italy

In February 2009, Jonathan Grant Galleries staff member Sophie Keyse was awarded an internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. Sophie will be spending the months of November and December in Venice working in the museum, as well as participating in seminars and tours taken by museum staff. Pictured in Artis gallery from left to right; Abby Sisam (Gallery Manager) and Sophie Keyse

Rare Frances Hodgkins watercolours repatriated to New Zealand

Jonathan and Belinda unpack works by Frances Hodgkins

Jonathan Gooderham has recently returned to New Zealand with some very special watercolours by the expatriate artist Frances Mary Hodgkins. The current exhibition at Jonathan Grant Galleries in Parnell is a selection of eight watercolours and is accompanied by a full colour catalogue. Several of these works on display were kept in a very private collection in France and have never been seen before by the public. Jonathan says, ‘Whenever I travel overseas, I look for paintings with a New Zealand connection, and I was thrilled to discover these unseen works by one of New Zealand’s favourite artists.’ Frances Hodgkins was born in Dunedin, but left New Zealand in 1901 for England, where she became a successful painter, many years before her avant-garde style found favour in New Zealand. Her early works included portraits, genre pictures and some landscape painting, with her early style evolving through Impressionism to post-Impressionism. All these styles are represented in this exhibition at Jonathan Grant Galleries. Hodgkins’ paintings became much sought after following a successful 1940 exhibition in London, with the artist subsequently being selected to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale that same year. Her artistic career was further honoured in 1942 when she received a Civil List Pension, and in 1944 when the Tate Gallery purchased her 1915 painting Loveday and Ann: Two Women with a Basket of Flowers. Her work is held in all New Zealand public galleries and in numerous British galleries, including the Tate Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum. The exhibition opens on Friday July 4th and will be remain on display for four weeks. One of the works has already been purchased by a public art gallery to complement its important collection of Frances Hodgkins paintings. Along with the superb Hodgkins works, there are many other paintings by well-known New Zealand artists exhibited at Jonathan Grant Galleries, including a pair of oils by Charles Frederick Goldie that Jonathan has recently purchased in Australia. Caption: Jonathan Gooderham and Belinda May unpack Frances Hodgkins’ 'Arrangement of Jugs, 1938'.

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The Inaugural Louise Perkins Prize in Art History

In November 2005, Jonathan Grant Galleries staff member Jemma Field was awarded the inaugural Louise Perkins Prize in Art History for consistently achieving the highest grades in Art History throughout her Bachelor of Arts degree. A special ceremony was held at the Auckland City Art Gallery to award the prize. Jemma hopes to further her studies at the Courtauld Institute in London like previous staff members of Jonathan Grant Galleries. Pictured at the ceremony, from left to right; Jonathan Gooderham, Scott Perkins, Jemma Field and Sarah Gordon.

Peter O'Hagan painting donated to the SPCA at Dampierre Champagne presentation

The Count Audoin and Countess Roselyne de Dampierre visited Auckland on March 9th 2007 to launch their Grand Cru and Premier Cru collection of Champagne cuvées. Count Audoin de Dampierre, a rally driving vintage car collector with a particular interest in Aston Martin cars, introduced the Champagnes at a reception at the Independent Prestige Aston Martin showroom in Auckland. When Peter O’Hagan visited the Dampierre’s home in Chenay the previous year he sketched his impression of his first taste of the family’s 1998 reserve cuvée as poured by Audoin de Dampierre in the company of their two Labradors, Opium and Tequila. The resultant painting, which features the two dogs and the Dampierre Grand Cru champagne, was sold by silent auction during the Champagne tasting. Jonathan Gooderham presented the proceeds, amounting to $7,800, to Mr Bob Kerridge on behalf of the SPCA at a special function at Jonathan Grant Galleries on March 16th, 2007.

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Keith Money Website Exhibition

The Duchess of Norfolk, Arundel, circa 1960 Watercolour 45 x 56 cm

With an advertisement in the June 4th Collectors Edition of Country Life magazine, Jonathan Grant Galleries are holding a website-based exhibition of oils and watercolours by expatriate artist Keith Money. His paintings were first exhibited in London's West End at the Leicester Galleries, hanging amongst stellar company. He also worked for The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, and Tatler magazine, as artist and writer, and also as a photo essayist. An extensive tour of East Africa, firstly in 1978, prompted a widely acclaimed Nairobi exhibition depicting Kenyan views. As well as exhibiting throughout London, Money also held shows in New York and Virginia, and over the years there have been a number of exhibitions in the English provinces. Throughout his wide-ranging career, Keith Money has painted a diverse range of subjects, and is particularly well known for his 1950s paintings of major English country houses. However, Keith Money’s talent is not only confined to painting – he has written several well received books on ballet, including four on ballerina Margot Fonteyn; a large biography of Anna Pavlova, as well as texts on the Royal Ballet. His theatrical interests are seen in two works in this exhibition, with a conte and watercolour of dancer Sir Anthony Dowell in Jerome Robbins’ ‘Afternoon of a Faun’, 1971, as well as a sanguine chalk work of Rudolf Nureyev as Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty, 1968. While still in New Zealand, Money contributed bloodstock articles to The British Racehorse magazine and he later contributed articles and illustrations to several equestrian publications, including Stud & Stable and The Field. This equestrian interest extended to portraits of horses and their riders, including Jenny Bullen on Desert Storm, 1959, The Prince of Wales on a Polo Pony in Windsor Great Park, circa 1974 and The Duchess of Norfolk, Arundel circa 1960. (illustrated)

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November 2006 Exhibition - Jonathan Grant Galleries

Ken Knight - North Island Landscapes

Held in November 2006, the show featured an extensive selection of landscapes that were painted around New Zealand by prominent Australian artist Ken Knight. Prominent New Zealand locations that Ken painted included the Hawkes Bay's Tukituki River and Te Mata Peak, the cliff faces of the Rangitiki River and the beaches of Auckland's North Shore. Working outside in the tradition of the French and British Impressionists, Ken produces dynamic compositions with a scintillating sense of colour and atmosphere. Exhibition dates; November 10 - 30th 2006

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New Grahame Sydney Lithographs

New limited edition lithographs

As part of our upcoming show in our contemporary gallery ARTIS, we are delighted to be able to offer a new pair of limited edition lithographs by Grahame Sydney titled 'Fog at Kane's Pond' (33 x 55 cm) and 'Night Station,' (43.5 x 55 cm). Images of these works are also able to be viewed on our Recent Acquisitions. Alternatively, please do not hesitate to contact the gallery should you wish to reserve or purchase a lithograph or if you would like more information. The edition is only 50 and currently there are 20 available.

November 2005 Exhibition - Artis Gallery

Ray Ching - The Last Tree Fell

"Good Luck" They called to the Black Robbins

This show was held in our cntemporary gallery, ARTIS at the end of 2005 and was comprised of seventeen large canvases by Ray Ching. The paintings in this exhibition drew on Ching's life-long fascination in painting birds to explore links and connections between legends and myths, hopes and fears and our current concerns about species of plants and animals needing to find space in our crowded planet. Over twenty years ago, Ching began depicting scientifically improbable groupings of altogether unrelated birds. He has produced more than fifty connected paintings, which continued with the seventeen works that were in this exhibition.

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October 2005 Exhibition - Jonathan Grant Galleries

The Trafalgar Bi-Centenary

An exhibition to celebrate the bi-centenary of the battle of Trafalgar. A selection of hand coloured engravings including portraits of Lord Nelson by Lemuel F Abbott and John Hoppner and Nelson's ship Victory at The Battle of Trafalgar by JMW Turner as well as the First and Last Journeys of HMS Victory by William L Wyllie.

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Peter O'Hagan painting presented to Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt MP

Jonathan Gooderham presents the painting to The Rt Hon. Jonathan Hunt

Jonathan Hunt, the recently retired Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament, heard of Peter O'Hagan's interest in New Zealand wine following O'Hagan's 2004 exhibition "Fine New Zealand Wines Abroad" at Jonathan Grant Galleries. Jonathan consequently invited Peter to taste some of New Zealand's spectacular wines in the Speaker's Dining Room at Parliament House. Subsequently O'Hagan painted several watercolour and gouache works from this theme, and the large painting titled "Evaluating the 2001 Pinot Champion for Australia and New Zealand - The Speaker's Dining Room, Parliament, Wellington" was presented to the future New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Jonathan Hunt ONZ, M.P. on March 23, 2005 by Peter O'Hagan's art dealer Jonathan Gooderham. The painting, which features Matua Valley 2001 Wairarapa Pinot and Craggy Range Quarry and Sophia, will hang in Mr Hunt's official residence in London and will not only serve as a fine tribute to New Zealand wines, but also act as a reminder of Jonathan Hunt's 38 year career as an M.P., and his position as Speaker in the New Zealand Parliament.

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