Gottfried Lindauer 1839-1926. Plzeňský malíř novozélandských Maorů
| Title in English | Gottfried Lindauer 1839-1926. Pilsen Painter of the New Zealand Maori |
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Monograph |
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| Citation | |
| Description | The first monographic publication about the life and work of Gottfried Lindauer (1839-1926), the painter connecting Central Europe and Oceania. It accompanied the same named exhibition in the Gallery of West Bohemia in Pilsen. A native of Pilsen, Lindauer studied in Vienna by Josef Führich and Carl Hemerlein. Initially, he concentrated on religious painting (working above all for the Roman-catholic parish Valašské Klobouky) and on portraits of Pilsen burghers. He moved to New Zealand in 1874, in the age of 35 years, and established himself as portrait painter there. He built up an abundant clientele of his sitters and supporters, not only among the colonial British people but among chief representatives of individual Maori tribes as well. Nowadays, it is especially this collection of portraits of outstanding Maori chieftains which is primarily esteemed – not only as a fine example of Lindauer’s artistic skill, but even more for the sake of the depicted personalities who were shaping the modern history of New Zealand and who are especially precious to the Maori nation as their distinguished ancestors. Lindauer’s work hitherto has not been presented in a monographic form which would introduce both his European and New Zealand chapters of his work side by side. The reflection on his work has required an extension from the standard art history discipline to visual studies, from ethnology to interpretations of culture and from documentary function of painting to its broader spiritual meanings. |