Artwork Information

During the nearly two decades John Hoyte spent living and working in Aotearoa New Zealand, he travelled extensively, capturing the landscapes of his expeditions in watercolour. The colonial town of Auckland was however his home for most of this time and a subject he returned to again and again. His views of Rangitoto and it surrounds, painted using a palette of dusky blues and acid greens, have become iconic representations of the growing town. Following the British Romantic tradition, Hoyte favoured a picturesque rendering of the topography rather than exact documentation. Hoyte’s interest in capturing atmospheric effects is evident in this intimate vista made from the waterline at Taurarua looking towards Maungauika (North Head) with the distinctive shape of Rangitoto Island silhouetted against the pink-hued sky.