Early Portrait Of Ngā Puhi Rangatira Bought

For immediate release 22 January 2009

Turnbull Library Buys Early Portrait Of Ngā Puhi Rangatira

The National Library of New Zealand has recently purchased at auction a portrait of the rangatira Eruera Maihi Patuone (1760s?-1872) for the Alexander Turnbull Library’s collections.

Patuone was a Ngā Puhi leader and tohunga of Ngāti Hao of Hokianga, a peacemaker, trader, and government adviser. He was one of the signatories of the Declaration of the Independence of New Zealand in 1836 and was present at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Patuone was the elder brother of Tamati Waka Nene. The Turnbull Library already holds several photographic portraits of him (including some by John Crombie, and George W Redfern) and drawings and lithographs by Richard Laishley and George French Angas.

This portrait, at one time owned by Reginald Longden, Director of the Art Gallery of Palmerston North, was painted by Margaret Bullock (1845-1903). It is not known if the portrait was painted from life, although Patuone lived in Devonport in later years and the artist lived in Auckland until her early thirties. It is possible she used the John Crombie photograph as a basis for the painting because the pose of the figure is similar. However, Patuone wears traditional Māori dress in the painting, whereas the Crombie photograph shows him in his more usual attire of a military uniform.

Margaret Bullock was not a prolific painter but exhibited several paintings in the 1880s. She was better known as a journalist, feminist and social reformer. In 1894 she wrote the novel Utu: a story of love, hate, and revenge, under the pseudonym Tua-o-rangi and dedicated the book to Sir George Grey. As it happens, Grey himself had had many constructive dealings with Patuone in Auckland, and had gifted him 110 acres at Waiwharariki (Takapuna Beach) for the duration of his lifetime, as a means of persuading him to stay in Auckland.

The painting will be housed in the Drawings, Paintings and Prints Collection of the Alexander Turnbull Library.

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