PROVENANCE Exhibited Paris Salon, 1939 John Leech Gallery, c. 1953 Barrington Gallery, Exhibition of Historical Paintings, 28 - 31 May 1975 International Art Centre, National Treasures, Wednesday, 24 March 1993 Private Collection, New Zealand

EXHIBITED Exhibited Paris Salon, 1939 GOLDIE, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 28 June - 28 October 1997 GOLDIE, Robert McDougall Art Gallery, 12 December 1998 - 7 March 1999

ILLUSTRATED N.Z. Herald, 10 February 1938, p.8, reproduced in black and white N.Z. Herald, 9 May 1939 Newrick, H.P. N.Z. Art Auction Records, 1969 - 1972 Wellington, Newrick Associates Ltd, 1973, N.Z. Herald, 21 May 1975, reproduced in black and white, Barrington Gallery Catalogue, 28 - 31 May 1975, reproduced in black and white N.Z. Herald, 29 May 1975, Section I, p.2 Dominion, 29 May 1975 International Art Centre, National Treasures, Wednesday 24 March, 1993 C. F. Goldie, 1870-1947: His Life & Painting, Alister Taylor and Jan Glenn, A. Taylor, Martinborough, New Zealand 1977, p.120, p.282 GOLDIE, Roger Blackley, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in association with David Bateman Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1997, p.166 Jacquie Clarke, New Zealand Geographic, 1998, C.F. Goldie: the old master revisited, (38)

THOUGHTS OF A TOHUNGA

Charles Goldie's 1938 portrait of Wharekauri Tahuna is nothing short of an artistic tour de force. In his execution of this work, Goldie deployed the technical finesse which he had perfected over the course of an entire career to maximum effect, allowing him to powerfully express the likeness and mana of Wharekauri Tahuna.

The present work is a sensitive and reverent rendering of Wharekauri Tahuna, comprising careful yet spirited, visible brushstrokes. It has been composed with such precision as to avoid obscuring the finer detail of the sitter's visage, but is also expressive enough in its painted manner to enhance the effect of the work's ambient light interplay; illumination is derived from a strong singular light source coming from the left of the painting. This mastery of light and texture renders the portrait lifelike: from the resplendence of Wharekauri's pounamu to the weave of his garment and tender realism of deep-etched lines. Frontwards-facing and dominating the canvas, Wharekauri's strength and mana are asserted by the work's composition. The enduring impression left on the viewer is of how impressive and majestic the aged Wharekauri is. His literal and metaphorical largesse extends well beyond the confines of the frame. The work is further enhanced by the 'Goldie' frame in which the painting is presented, a design originated by Goldie's father.

The portrait epitomises all the formal qualities characteristic of the later period of Goldie's artistic production. This mature period in his work had been preceded by more than a decade of inactivity, during which time he moved to Sydney, was married and remained there for two years. Goldie's eventual resumption of painting in the early 1930s (by which time he had returned to New Zealand) saw a radical shift in his expressive technique. The crisp luminosity and inclination to academic formalism which had defined his earlier works, was replaced by a much freer treatment of the painted surface. Goldie's increasingly experimental forays into a more dynamic use of oil paint had led him to fully master the subtleties of a new and eloquent visual language. This instilled his works with a deeper sense of gravitas and atmosphere, as beautifully displayed in this portrait of Wharekauri.

Wharekauri Tahuna was a tohunga, or priest, from Galatea and of Ngāti Manawa. Thought to have been the last man in the Ureweras to bear full-face moko, he was one of Goldie's favoured subjects and features in a number of notable works completed by the artist throughout his career.

In 1933, Goldie completed a portrait of Wharekauri titled, Thoughts of a Tohunga, Wharekauri Tahuna [Te Wharekauri Tahuna, Ngāti Manawa], now a prized painting in the collection of Te Papa Tongarewa. An earlier portrait had been completed in 1910, as well as a splendid 1914 work, Te Wharekauri Tahuna, now residing in the collection of Auckland War Memorial Museum. These ultimately speak to the value which Goldie invested in his relationships with sitters.

Goldie's portraits of Māori are celebrated for their ability to realistically capture the mana and likeness of his sitters. This immortalised image of Wharekauri Tahuna embodies both the mana of the sitter and the skill of CF Goldie. There is a spirit of vitality and vivacity to this work which makes it truly special, and distinguishes it as a work of ancestral and spiritual importance, a precious link to our past. With this in mind, the presentation of this exceptional portrait to the market is, to say the least, a rare and exciting occurrence.