Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist

17 December 2021

Cass (detail; 1936), Rita Angus. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Courtesy of the Estate of Rita Angus

The crisp outlines and bold colours of Rita Angus’s landscapes and portraits marked a move away from European influences and towards a new visual style, tailored to capture life in modern New Zealand. This survey at Te Papa in Wellington (18 December–25 April 2022) – a collaboration with the Royal Academy in London, where its run last year was cancelled because of the pandemic – features more than 70 works, spanning the four decades of Angus’s career and including some of her most famous paintings such as Rutu (1951), Cleopatra (1938) and Cass (1936). Find out more from Te Papa’s website.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here

Rita Angus painting a self-portrait, photographed by Jean Bertram in 1936–37.

Rita Angus Painting Self-portrait (1936–37), Jean Bertram. Te Papa, Wellington

Rutu (1951), Rita Angus.

Rutu (1951), Rita Angus. Te Papa, Wellington. Courtesy the Estate of Rita Angus

Central Otago (1953/56–69), Rita Angus.

Central Otago (1953/56–69), Rita Angus. Te Papa, Wellington. Courtesy the Estate of Rita Angus

Cleopatra (1938), Rita Angus.

Cleopatra (1938), Rita Angus. Te Papa, Wellington. Courtesy the Estate of Rita Angus

Cass (1936), Rita Angus.

Cass (1936), Rita Angus. Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Courtesy of the Estate of Rita Angus