Property of a Gentleman

On 17 February 1888, the Auckland Art Gallery officially opened with a display of European and local paintings gifted by soldier, explorer, collector and twice governor of New Zealand, Sir George Grey.

Almost a century and a quarter later, we continue to benefit from Grey's generosity by exploring this selection of paintings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

Focusing on the highlights of Grey's collection, Property of a Gentleman turns the spotlight on the purchases he made at one sale at Christies in 1869. It features the key painting he set out to buy – Caspar Netscher's Girl Arranging Flowers, a graceful, elegant portrait in the French style fashionable in the 1600s and a family heirloom beloved by Grey's mother.