item details
NameThoughts of a Tohunga, Wharekauri Tahuna [Te Wharekauri Tahuna, Ngati Manawa]
ProductionCharles F. Goldie; artist; 1933; Auckland
Classificationpaintings, works of art
Materialsoil paint, canvas
Materials Summaryoil on canvas
DimensionsImage: 453mm (width), 505mm (height)
Registration Number1973-0007-1
Credit linePurchased 1973
Overview
By the 1930s, Charles Goldie’s reputation in New Zealand was being challenged by a new generation. But in Europe, this painting was exhibited at the London Royal Academy of Arts and Paris Salon to great acclaim.
Te Wharekauri was one of the last tattooed men of his generation. When young, he was captured by a Te Arawa war party and taken to Rotorua, where he continued to live after his release.
Te Wharekauri came to Goldie’s attention through an article on Nelson Illingworth, who sculpted Te Wharekauri in 1908. Illingworth commented: ‘Even now, in the winter of his days, his stature is impressive ... in his younger days, he must have stood 7 feet in height.’