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Kōrero: West Coast places

‘Otira gorge’

Image
‘Otira gorge’

Dutch artist Petrus van der Velden, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1890, was fascinated by the Ōtira area, and painted a series of pictures there over 20 years. This is the last of the series, completed in 1912, the year before his death. Heavy rainfall and flooded rivers are part of life in alpine regions, and van der Velden captures the awe-inspiring forces of nature with his use of light and shade.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Auckland Art Gallery – Toi o Tāmaki

by Petrus van der Velden

Permission of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Simon Nathan, West Coast places – Taramakau valley, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/artwork/21011/otira-gorge (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Simon Nathan, i tāngia i te 3 March 2009.