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Story: Regional cultural life

'Silverstream', by James Nairn

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'Silverstream', by James Nairn

'Silverstream' was typical of the outdoor impressionist style of painting which James Nairn encouraged among Wellington painters in the 1890s. Born in Scotland, Nairn became a teacher of painting at the Wellington Technical School in 1891 and then established the Wellington Art Society to encourage more experimental work than was favoured by the academy. The club rented Pumpkin Cottage in Silverstream for outdoor painting, and this 1896 watercolour would have been painted by Nairn while based there.  

Using this item

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: 1959-0026-3

by James Nairn

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Pip Howells, Regional cultural life – Early regional arts and culture, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/44488/silverstream-by-james-nairn (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Pip Howells, published 14 March 2014.