NOT AN ORIGINAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 15

NOT AN ORIGINAL.

SYDNEY PICTURE. MR. GOLDIE'S STATEMENT. WANGANUI MAN'S U FIND." Conviction that the picture bought recently in Sydney as one of his original works was actually not an original at ail was expressed yesterday by the well-known Auckland artist, Mr. C. F. Goldie. A Press Association message from Wellington which appeared in the "Star" on Tuesday stated that Mr. T. H. Smith, of Wanganui, had brought back with him trom Sydney an original by Mr. Goldie which had been accidentally picked up ii» a curio shop. ''So far from being an original," Mr. Goidie said, "it k probably not even a copy, but a copy of a copv, and a bad one at that." Mr. Goldie added that he did not like it being said that any of his works were "knocking round old curiosity shops." Actually the picture in Christcliurch and it had never left that city. The artist gave interesting details both of the picture and of its subject, a memh*r of the Ngati-Wliatua tribe and one-time secretary to the Maori king, lawhaio. He said he painted the picture about 1903. and it. was first shown in an exhibition. It was afterwards bought by the Cliristchurch Art Society, and was hung in the city's art gallery. Lver since then it had been in Christcliurch. and at present was in the McDougall gallery. Many reproductions had been made of it, Mr. Goldie added, and other artists had made copies of it. Then copies had been made of those copies. It was probably one of those which Mr. Smith had. Patara Te Tuhi, he B aid, went to England with four other Maoris in 188-4 to see Queen Victoria. The others in the party were the Maori king himself, Major Wiremu Te Wherowhero, Topia Turoa and Hori Ropihana. Patara, he said, was a well-known figure in Auckland only a few years ago. He used to live at Mangere, just across the bridge. "It was a curious thing," said Mr. (ioldie, "but at the tangi held at his death, which was about 12 years ago. two reproductions of the "picture 0 I painted were hung Over the coffin." In the early days, Mr. Goldie continued, Patara was the editor of the Maori newspaper, which was published in opposition to the pakeha paper, conducted by Sir John Gorst—a man. who, incidentally, afterwards wrote a book, "The Maori King," strongly sympathetic to the Maori cause. The name of the Maori paper was "Hokioi." and that of Gorst, "Pihoihoi Mokemoke."