Colonial Art
William Strutt, View of Mt Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand, taken from New Plymouth, with Maoris driving off settlers’ cattle, 1861, Oil on Canvas, 840mm x 644m, Te Papa Mueseum Wellington, Te Papa Collections, 2015-0042-1, http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/1467089.
Colonial Art is art created during the time in which settlers’ come into an existing community in an area and establish control over them. In this case, during the 19th and first half of the 20th century when the British colony dominated and took over the indigenous Māori in New Zealand.
Strutt has painted a scene in which Māori’s are driving off settlers’ cattle to regain their land, with Mt Egmont in the background. According to Te Papa’s Historical New Zealand Art Curator, Dr Rebbeca Rice, “It’s rare to have a painting that allows reference to the disputes between Māori and Pākehā in the 1850s and 60s. Typically painted of that era focused on New Zealands unoccupied and pristine landscape to encourage immigration, or made portrait studies of Māori.” (Scoop). Here in Strutts colonial art, in the armed group concealed by bush of scrub in the foreground, the men are wearing feathers in their hair and they are driving off cattle. In a way this reminds me of native americans and their history of driving off their cattle and rather than New Zealand Māori themselves. There is also a man wearing what seems to be a ceremonial dress in this scene of driving off cattle and does not seem to fit in with this kind of war like intention between the Europeans and Māori. The only really representation of New Zealand would be Mt Egmont. However, this is typical as, “ethnographically inaccuracy in the representation of Māori subject was the norm among European artists.” (Bell,145).
LILIAN LEE 