Charles Goldie's 1903 painting of Harata Rewiri Tarapata of Ngāpuhi is a good example of his work. The pounamu mere (greenstone club) in the foreground and the hanging flax kete (woven basket) provide a sense of a traditional Māori context, while the lowered face of the kuia (female elder) and her downcast eyes evoke a sense of sadness about the present and contemplation of a distant past. Goldie was expressing nostalgia for what he believed was a dying race.
Using this item
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Reference:
1991-0001-2
Oil on canvas by Charles Goldie
Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
Courtesy of Te Runanga-A-Iwi-O-Ngapuhi
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