Story: Perceptions of the landscape

Port Chalmers

Port Chalmers

This unsigned 1880s oil painting shows Port Chalmers, with Otago Harbour behind. It is unusual because it was painted by an anonymous, untrained artist. Most surviving pictures from the 19th century are by trained artists. Academic conventions for landscape paintings of the time were to show places free of human impact – this naïve painting is atypical in depicting wooden houses and people in the streets.

Using this item

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Permission of Toitū Otago Settlers Museum must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Perceptions of the landscape - Ways of looking', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/14290/port-chalmers (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips, published 24 Sep 2007