Auckland Art Gallery Acquires Rare War Dance Painting

June 17 2024

Image of Auckland Art Gallery Acquires Rare War Dance Painting

Picture: aucklandartgallery.com

Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:

The Auckland Art Gallery in New Zealand have acquired William Strutt's War Dance at Taranaki, New Zealand, Mount Egmont, in the distance (CLICK HERE FOR LINK --->)#mce_temp_url#. The painting, which was exhibited in 1857, is believed to be the earliest depicting of the haka, a traditional war dance which is famously still used by the nation's sporting teams.

According to the article linked above:

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Gallery Director Kirsten Lacy says, “War Dance at Taranaki, New Zealand, Mount Egmont, in the distance is an incredibly rare artwork and a major addition to the Gallery’s collection. A small painting with a huge story to tell, this work holds immense historical importance, and I am delighted to be bringing this into a public collection where all can enjoy and learn from it.”

The Gallery purchased the painting from Art+Object by a private treaty sale for $885,000 with funding from several trust funds dedicated to supporting the Gallery’s collection, contributions from private individuals and the Gallery’s collection development budget.

“Artworks of this calibre are rare on the market – the last time the Gallery purchased a historic New Zealand work of this significance was 34 years ago in 1990,” adds Lacy.

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