Intimate Portraits

Intimate Portraits

Exhibition Details

Historically portraiture has typically been concerned with recording resemblances of the great and the good, or those wealthy enough to commission a likeness. This exhibition focuses on a much humbler form of portraiture, where the sitters are the artists' intimates - their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, lovers, children, friends or indeed selves.

The close nature of these relationships is often reflected in the paintings. Toss Woollaston reflected in his autobiography that in the early years of his marriage 'I drew and drew Edith in the evenings, mostly asleep in her chair after the rigours of our primitive days.' Throughout his career he made many portraits of Edith - as muse, wife, companion and a mother - frequently engrossed in other activities as her husband paints.

The tensions of having an artist in the family and the demands of having to model for them is humorously captured by the British artist, John Bratby, in the drawing entitled "When are you going to stop drawing Dad?", in which his bored son stares into space. Harold Gilman's painting Mother and Child, despite the generic title records an intensely personal moment from his family life, portraying his wife Sylvia breastfeeding their son John.

The exhibition also includes one of the Gallery's latest acquisitions, Rita Angus's Mother and Child, 1942. The watercolour of her sister, Jean Jones, with baby son Anton, draws on the associations of such maternal imagery with portrayals of the Madonna and Child. As Ron Brownson observes though, it is also an eloquent image of familial happiness and hope during wartime.

These portraits give insights into the artists' lives, not only recording those with whom they were intimate, but also reflecting this in their portrayals.

Date
Location
Main Gallery
Cost
Free entry

Related Artworks

View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of Edith
Portrait of Edith

M T Woollaston

Production date
circa 1936
Medium
oil on paper on board
Size (h x w)
485 x 375 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1988
Accession no
1988/13
View Artwork

Not on display

Self Portrait (Nude at Easel)
Self Portrait (Nude at Easel)

A Lois White

Production date
circa 1935
Medium
oil on cardboard
Size (h x w)
495 x 400 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Fumpston Family, 2003
Accession no
2003/35
View Artwork

Not on display

Self-portrait as his father
Self-portrait as his father

Richard McWhannell

Production date
1995
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
695 x 991 x 65 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1995
Accession no
1994/35
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of Una Platts
Portrait of Una Platts

Colin McCahon

Production date
1959
Medium
ink
Size (h x w)
250 x 180 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2006
Accession no
2006/9
View Artwork

Not on display

Ian (Ossian)
Ian (Ossian)

Jacob Epstein

Production date
1942
Medium
bronze
Size (h x w)
406 mm
Credit line
Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Accession no
M1948/3
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of Betty Curnow
Portrait of Betty Curnow

Rita Angus

Production date
1942
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
775 x 647 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1970
Accession no
1970/6
View Artwork

Not on display

Parlour at Gunson Street, Ponsonby, 1974
Parlour at Gunson Street, Ponsonby, 1974

Mark Adams

Production date
1995
Medium
gelatin silver print, toned with gold
Size (h x w)
580 x 570 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mark Adams and the Partners of Ernst & Young, 1995
Accession no
1994/25/7
View Artwork

Not on display

Reuben, Russell, 14 April 1993 (Portrait)
Reuben, Russell, 14 April 1993 (Portrait)

Laurence Aberhart

Production date
1993
Medium
black and white photograph
Size (h x w)
240 x 192 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1994
Accession no
1994/9/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Mother and Cactus plant, 1979
Mother and Cactus plant, 1979

Peter Black

Production date
1979
Medium
selenium-toned gelatin silver print
Size (h x w)
162 x 168 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1981
Accession no
1981/4/2
View Artwork

Not on display

Mother and Child
Mother and Child

Harold Gilman

Production date
1918
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
698 x 507 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1952. Frame sponsored by Graham Mitchell.
Accession no
1952/2/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of Frances Hodgkins
Portrait of Frances Hodgkins

Cedric Morris

Production date
1928
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
985 x 864 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased with funds from the William James Jobson Trust, 1954
Accession no
1954/5
View Artwork

Not on display

Vanessa Bell Pregnant
Vanessa Bell Pregnant

Duncan Grant

Production date
1918
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
660 x 583 mm
Credit line
Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased with the assistance of the National Art Collection Fund, 1992. Frame sponsored by the Portrait Group.
Accession no
M1992/26
View Artwork

Not on display

Mother and Child (Jean and Anton Jones with Portrait of Fred Jones behind)
Mother and Child (Jean and Anton Jones with Portrait of Fred Jones behind)

Rita Angus

Production date
1942
Medium
watercolour
Size (h x w)
460 x 315 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2005
Accession no
2005/6
View Artwork

Not on display

Rita Angus
Rita Angus

Theo Schoon

Production date
1946
Medium
black and white photograph
Size (h x w)
248 x 193 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the artist, 1982
Accession no
1982/5
View Artwork

Not on display

Gordon Walters
Gordon Walters

Theo Schoon

Production date
Unknown
Medium
gelatin silver print
Size (h x w)
213 x 212 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the artist, 1983
Accession no
1983/19/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Leslie and Diana Camera, 1979
Leslie and Diana Camera, 1979

Peter Black

Production date
1979
Medium
selenium-toned gelatin silver print
Size (h x w)
155 x 155 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1981
Accession no
1981/4/7
View Artwork

Not on display

Self Portrait, 1979
Self Portrait, 1979

Peter Black

Production date
1979
Medium
selenium-toned gelatin silver print
Size (h x w)
161 x 168 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1981
Accession no
1981/4/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Angie and Goose
Angie and Goose

Bruce Foster

Production date
1977
Medium
black and white photograph
Size (h x w)
134 x 202 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1978
Accession no
1978/7/2
View Artwork

Not on display

Erika
Erika

Peter Peryer

Production date
1975
Medium
black and white photograph
Size (h x w)
178 x 178 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased with assistance from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand, 1976
Accession no
1976/30/4
View Artwork

Not on display

Erika, Winter
Erika, Winter

Peter Peryer

Production date
1979
Medium
gelatin silver print
Size (h x w)
420 x 285 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2004
Accession no
2004/24
View Artwork

Not on display

Self portrait
Self portrait

Tony Fomison

Production date
1977
Medium
oil on board
Size (h x w)
580 x 850 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1978
Accession no
1978/26
View Artwork

Not on display

Charles Brasch from memory
Charles Brasch from memory

M T Woollaston

Production date
1938
Medium
charcoal
Size (h x w)
482 x 424 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Colin McCahon, 1961
Accession no
1961/11/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of a Woman Reading
Portrait of a Woman Reading

Roger Fry

Production date
1886-1934
Medium
pen and ink
Size (h x w)
219 x 171 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mr Ian Johnson, 1976
Accession no
1976/41/2
View Artwork

Not on display

Woman Sewing
Woman Sewing

Frances Hodgkins

Production date
circa 1929
Medium
pencil
Size (h x w)
295 x 403 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Friends of the Auckland Art Gallery in appreciation of Jocelyn Lowe's service to the Society, 1999
Accession no
1999/10
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of the artist's wife
Portrait of the artist's wife

M T Woollaston

Production date
1939
Medium
oil on board
Size (h x w)
468 x 418 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1958
Accession no
1958/23
View Artwork

Not on display

Edith in a straw hat
Edith in a straw hat

M T Woollaston

Production date
1973
Medium
oil on board
Size (h x w)
910 x 690 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1985
Accession no
1985/37
View Artwork

Not on display

"When are you going to stop drawing Dad?"
"When are you going to stop drawing Dad?"

John Bratby

Production date
1962
Medium
conte crayon
Size (h x w)
1720 x 770 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Artist, 1984
Accession no
1984/12/10
View Artwork

Not on display

Two Self-Portraits and Studio Window
Two Self-Portraits and Studio Window

John Bratby

Production date
1975
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
1250 x 943 x 33 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Artist, 1984
Accession no
1984/12/9
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of May Smith
Portrait of May Smith

Edward Scroggie

Production date
mid 1930s
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
413 x 330 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Accession no
U/357
View Artwork

Not on display

Valentine Dobrée
Valentine Dobrée

Mark Gertler

Production date
1919
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
991 x 864 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Contemporary Art Society, London, 1964
Accession no
1964/3
View Artwork

Not on display

Mere and Siulolovao, Otago Peninsula
Mere and Siulolovao, Otago Peninsula

Robin White

Production date
1978
Medium
screenprint
Size (h x w)
617 x 385 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2004
Accession no
2004/19
View Artwork

Not on display

Mask of Mrs Epstein
Mask of Mrs Epstein

Jacob Epstein

Production date
1916
Medium
bronze
Size (h x w)
241 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1961
Accession no
1961/30
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of My Mother
Portrait of My Mother

David Gommon

Production date
Unknown
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
890 x 712 x 30 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Lucy Carrington Wertheim, 1950
Accession no
1950/2/18
View Artwork

On display

This is me at Kaitangata
This is me at Kaitangata

Robin White

On display

Production date
1979
Medium
screenprint
Size (h x w)
500 x 338 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1979
Accession no
1979/66
View Artwork

Not on display

Win
Win

Allan Barns-Graham

Production date
1933
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
349 x 295 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1933
Accession no
1933/9
View Artwork

Not on display

Torso - Self portrait
Torso - Self portrait

Peter Peryer

Production date
1976
Medium
black and white photograph
Size (h x w)
178 x 178 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1978
Accession no
1978/24/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Edith Knitting
Edith Knitting

M T Woollaston

Production date
circa 1938
Medium
ink on paper
Size (h x w)
125 x 210 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1985
Accession no
1985/7
View Artwork

Not on display

Figures from Life
Figures from Life

M T Woollaston

Production date
1936
Medium
oil and charcoal
Size (h x w)
627 x 478 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Colin McCahon, 1954
Accession no
1954/41
View Artwork

Not on display

Boy in a green jersey
Boy in a green jersey

M T Woollaston

Production date
1954
Medium
oil on cardboard
Size (h x w)
435 x 348 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1969
Accession no
1969/20
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of Denis Glover
Portrait of Denis Glover

Evelyn Page

Production date
1968
Medium
oil on board
Size (h x w)
701 x 432 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1970
Accession no
1970/5
View Artwork

Not on display

Self-portrait with Giselle 1972
Self-portrait with Giselle 1972

Marti Friedlander

Production date
2000
Medium
gelatin silver print, toned with gold
Size (h x w)
480 x 323 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Marti Friedlander, with assistance from the Elise Mourant Bequest, 2001
Accession no
2000/28/52
View Artwork

Not on display

Portrait of the artist's brother
Portrait of the artist's brother

M T Woollaston

Production date
1935
Medium
charcoal on grey paper
Size (h x w)
389 x 279 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the artist, 1961
Accession no
1961/12/1
View Artwork

Not on display

Characterisation in colour
Characterisation in colour

May Smith

Production date
1941
Medium
oil on canvas
Size (h x w)
762 x 609 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1958
Accession no
1958/20