Tamati Waka Nene
Gottfried Lindauer. 1890 C.E. New Zealand. Oil on canvas
Smooth brushstrokes, painted to show kind nature of the chief, compassionate, similar portrait style to the Mona Lisa, painted with tribal face paint to reinforce culture
Oil on canvas
101.9 x 84.2 cm
Man centered in portrait
Wearing feathered robe
Veined, muscular arm holding a weapon
Weapon looks like an axe made of wood
Feathers hanging from the head
Carving with an eye in its center (gemstone?) below grip
Cloak covered in feathers (kiwi)
Earring hanging from right ear (gemstone?)
Hair is a light to dark grey ombré
Green tattoos cover his entire face, save for an area around his eyes
Swirling patterns
End at his jawline
Background is of foliage, mountains, and a slightly overcast sky
Preserving the person in history
Bring the presence of ancestors into the living world → so the painting could not just show the image/appearance of Tamati Waka Nene, but also physically embody him
His attire shows his status
Māori man → indigenous people of New Zealand
A Rangatira or chief of the Ngāti Hao people in Hokianga –– from the Ngāpuhi tribe
An important war and peacetime leader
Estimated to be born in the 1780s and died in 1871
Persuaded Maori chiefs to accept Treaty of Waitangi (with the British)
Business man
Gottfried Lindauer
Born in Bohemia in 1839
Studied at Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna
Moved to New Zealand to escape military service and to receive more portrait commissions
Started painting Maori leaders (220 images)
Technique rooted in Renaissance naturalism
Didn’t make many sketches beforehand and often reimagined black and white images into color
His works would include artistic intervention instead of being purely realistic or documentary
Painted in 1890
Three years after Tamati Waka Nene died, so it was likely based on a photograph in a newspaper
The culture reveres their ancestors after they die – hang paintings on walls to cherish and even speak to
If the painting is removed from the related family, the organization who has the painting will make sure to keep a close relationship with the descendants
Was a time of rapid change in New Zealand during the time of Tamati Waka Nene –– first British missionaries and settlers were arriving
Māori people
Indigenous people of New Zealand
Settled after discovery around 1200-1300 BCE
Belief in the importance of mana as a force
Connection to power and prestige
Special importance on complex face tattoos
Painting was made at the same time as the Jean-Antoine Houdon sculpture of George Washington
They each represent their own own cultural values (also both in reference to the British)
Washington: dignity, lead successful rebellion against the British
Nene: great mana, negotiated peacefully with the British
- Conflict/Harmony
- Converging Cultures
- History/Memory
- Identity
- Portraiture
- Images of Authority
- Individual/Society
