TWO FINE WATERCOLOURS BY ALFRED WILSON WALSH

Alfred Wilson Walsh was born in Kyneton, Victoria the son of William Walsh, a captain in the Australian army and Catherine, née Wilson. The family settled in Otago and young Alfred was educated privately in Dunedin. On leaving school he joined the Public Works Department and like many New Zealand watercolourists worked as a draughtsman. In his own time, Walsh studied painting with George O'Brien and David Hutton, Principal of Dunedin's School of Art. By the time he was 27 years old he was recognized as a talented and competent artist . In 1886 Walsh was teaching at the Christchurch School of Art and serving as a council member of the Canterbury Art Society. After teaching for 20 years he retired and In 1912 settled at Parnell, Auckland. The last years of his life were spent in Tauranga where he died in 1916 at the age of 57

Walsh painted mainly in North Canterbury and Westland. Although he never travelled abroad and received limited formal training, he is regarded as one of the finest watercolourists New Zealand has produced. The excellence of his work lies in his preceptive ability to capture the illusive and unique qualities of the New Zealand bush. Walsh is represented in all major public galleries in New Zealand