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Text originally created for Tūrangawaewae: Art and New Zealand exhibition at Te Papa, March 2018.
A woman with great mana [authority], depicted as a sorrowful widow.
Harata Rewiri Tarapata was one of artist Charles F Goldie’s favourite subjects. As a teenager, she delivered ammunition to Ngāpuhi warriors at Ruapekapeka (1845–46) and other key battles of the New Zealand Wars. But here, her head is bowed in resignation.
Goldie is famous for his extraordinarily realistic portraits of elderly Māori. The portraits are powerful, and controversial: at this time, Māori were considered a ‘dying race’ – a myth some feel Goldie perpetuated.
He wahine mana nui e whakaatuhia ana hei pouaru matapōuri.
Ko Harata Rewiri Tarapata tētahi o ngā tino kaupapa whakaahua a Charles F Goldie. Nōna e rangatahi ana, i kawe hāmanu ia ki ngā toa o Ngāpuhi ki Ruapekapeka (1845–46) me ētahi atu riri matua o ngā Pakanga o Aotearoa. Ahakoa tērā, anei ia e tuohu ana.
He rongonui ngā kōwaiwai kiritangata a Goldie o ngā kaumātua Māori. He taonga, he take tautohetohe hoki ngā kōwaiwai kiritangata: i taua wā, hei tā te nuinga, he iwi manawa kiore te iwi Māori – e ai ki ētahi, i whakapūmau a Goldie i ērā whakaaro.