Portrait of the Artist's Son
John Alexander Gilfillan, Artist
This is one of the
watercolours
in our collection.
It was made in
Whanganui Region, New Zealand
in circa 1847.
See full details
Object Detail
About the Work
Portrait
believed
to
be
of
Francis
Gilfillan,
who
died
in
a
raid
on
the
families
Matarawa
Valley
farm
on
18
April
1847.
The
artists
wife
and
3
of
their
5
children
died
in
the
raid.
Measurements
Image 290 x 183mm
Frame 516 x 620mm
Frame 516 x 620mm
Media
watercolour on paper
Description
Watercolour portrait of a young boy wearing white trousers and a blue jacket with rows of buttons, lacy white collar and a beret style hat with black visor and ribbons dangling. He is wearing a small backpack over his left shoulder, is carrying two wooden poles, and has what looks like a fishing rod over his right shoulder. The background is mostly clear except for the small grassy mound with a tiny tree he is standing on and a building visible in the hazy distance in the lower left corner.
Credit Line
Collection of the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui. Purchased with funds raised by the NZ Founders Society Inc, 1979.
Collection Type
Permanent collection
Acquisition Date
Sep 1979