Kōrero: Criticism and the arts

Alfred Sharpe's insistence on the need to look at the New Zealand landscape with fresh eyes is put into practice in this 1876 watercolour, 'View of Taupiri village and plain from the top of Little Taupiri Hill'. He wrote, 'As a rule nothing is more dingy than the scenery of the Waikato district in broad daylight with its browns & grey greens – but at sunset the landscape lights up with the most gorgeous colours – orange, yellow & deep violets & purples predominating.'