The artist's mother Eliza Gilfillan and his second wife, Mary Gilfillan, in an interior
John Alexander Gilfillan, Artist
This is one of the
watercolours
in our collection.
It was made in circa 1840. The place where it was made is unknown.
See full details
Object Detail
About the Work
This
watercolour
relates
closely
to
the
smaller
watercolour
by
Gilfillan
of
his
widowed
mother
and
his
first
wife
Sarah,
now
in
the
Sarjeant
Gallery,
Wanganui
(1943/1/1).
The
Whanganui
watercolour
was
gifted
by
Dr
H.
W.
Wilson
and
Mr
J.P.
Wilson,
and
two
labels
on
its
later
backing
board
identify
the
sitters
('Eliza
Gilfillan,
mother's
great
aunt'
-
on
a
deleted
label
-
and
'Sarah
Murray,
Gilfillan's
first
wife
at
the
spinning
wheel'),
presumably
transcribed
from
earlier
inscriptions
by
the
artist's
descendants.
Gilfillan
lived
with
his
widowed
mother
in
Scotland
after
his
discharge
from
the
navy
in
1816,
and
married
his
15-year-old
cousin
Sarah
Murray
in
Glasgow
on
31
July
1826.
Sarah,
who
had
four
children,
died
in
childbirth
in
1837,
and
Gilfillan
married
another
cousin,
Mary
Bridges,
in
1838.
It
seems
likely
that
the
present
watercolour
reworks
the
Whanganui
interior,
replacing
his
first
wife
Sarah
with
his
second
wife
Mary,
with
whom
Gilfillan
and
his
young
family
emigrated
to
New
Zealand
in
1841.
Mary
and
three
of
Gilfillan's
children
were
massacred
by
Maori
at
their
farmhouse
in
the
Matawara
Valley,
seven
miles
outside
Whanganui,
in
1847.
Another
infant
daughter
died
in
the
aftermath
while
Gilfillan
and
his
daughter
were
recovering
in
Whanganui.
- https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/topographical-pictures-including-china-trade-paintings/john-alexander-gilfillan-1793-1864-114/102778 accessed 23/8/2021
- https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/topographical-pictures-including-china-trade-paintings/john-alexander-gilfillan-1793-1864-114/102778 accessed 23/8/2021
This record has related works.
Measurements
468 x 362 mm
Media
pencil and watercolour heightened with white on paper
Description
Watercolour showing an older woman wearing a dark dress and white bonnet sitting at a spinning wheel beside a younger woman wearing a light dress with her hair in an up-do, seated next to a table and reading a book. The woman are looking towards each other. There is a dog sleeping on the floor in the foreground and a large window with dark curtains at the left of the scene.
Credit Line
On long term loan to the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui. Collection of David Nicoll
Collection Type
Loans
Acquisition Date
19 May 2021