Portrait of Māori Elder sets Record

November 28, 2024

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A painting of Wharekauri Tahuna, a Māori elder, by New Zealand artist Charles Frederick Goldie has sold for a record-breaking $3.75 million.

The portrait, titled Thoughts of a Tohunga, was auctioned on Tuesday night, becoming the most valuable Māori portrait and the first New Zealand painting to surpass $3 million. Goldie painted the work in 1938, just nine years before his death.

The portrait features Wharekauri Tahuna, a Ngāti Manawa priest and one of the last tattooed men of his generation. It was first displayed in Paris in 1939, showcasing Tahuna’s intricate facial moko and a large greenstone tiki. Experts consider the painting one of Goldie’s masterpieces, highlighting his unmatched skill in portraying Māori elders.

Bidding for the painting began at $2 million and involved 16 offers made in-person, online, and via phone. Richard Thomson, director of the International Art Centre, described the piece as a landmark in New Zealand art history, calling it Goldie’s finest work.

Goldie’s paintings are known for their detailed and respectful depictions of Māori elders, and his pieces regularly fetch record prices. The sale of Thoughts of a Tohunga further cements his status as one of New Zealand’s most celebrated artists.

Article written by Milli Banbury

This article was written using AI as an assistive tool for research, writing, and proofreading.
The te reo Māori version of this article was translated with AI assistance. While care has been taken to keep it accurate, if you spot anything that doesn't read quite right, please let us know

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Digital Thinking

On Saturday morning, a group of Year 8 students met at a beach near Tauranga for a community clean-up. They brought gloves, sacks, and water bottles. At first, the sand looked almost clean, but as the group moved closer to the rocks, they found bottles, food wrappers, and fishing line tangled in the seaweed. One student noticed that small pieces of plastic were hardest to collect because they blended in with the shells. By midday, the students had filled eight large bags. Their teacher said the real success was not only the rubbish they removed, but also the way the students helped protect the wildlife that lives along the shore.

Which sentence best summarises the main idea of the passage?

A group of students cleaned up a beach and helped protect the wildlife there. By midday, the students had filled eight large bags with rubbish. The students brought gloves, sacks, and water bottles to the beach. The students found that small pieces of plastic were hardest to collect because they blended in with the shells.