Painting donated to city
A Colin McCahon painting worth hundreds of thousands of dollars has been donated to the Christchurch Art Gallery.
The landscape painting, called Canterbury Plains, was donated by Christchurch man Martin Prior. It has been in his family since the
1950s.
McCahon is considered one of New Zealand’s most important artists and his paintings have sold for as much as $1.35 million. He lived in Christchurch from 1948 to
1953.
The painting will be on public display in the gallery from tomorrow. It will be the first time it has been openly shown in New Zealand since the 1950s and the first time it has been shown since an exhibition in London in the
1970s.
McCahon painted the artwork in 1951 when he was living in Christchurch. It was bought by Martin Prior’s father, Arthur Prior, soon after and has been in family ownership ever since.
Martin Prior said Christchurch Art Gallery was the perfect home for the painting.
‘‘I felt it absolutely had to go to the gallery. Christchurch has been going through a difficult time and the painting represents Canterbury.
‘‘I grew up in Christchurch and so that is where my real allegiances are. That landscape is what I associate with New Zealand.’’
He has donated another McCahon painting purchased by his father in the 1950s to Oxfam. The aid charity hit the headlines last month after allegations it had covered up a sex scandal in Haiti in 2011.
‘‘I am sticking with Oxfam at this difficult time just as I am sticking with Canterbury during this difficult time,’’ Prior said.
He said the painting donated to the gallery was part of his childhood.
He remembered meeting McCahon and another New Zealand artist, Doris Lusk, as a child. The two artists were friends with his father.
Gallery curator Peter Vangioni said the painting was coming home.
‘‘It is just fantastic. It is such a great McCahon to have in the collection. It really belongs here. It is a fantastic gesture to bring it home.’’
‘‘It is a beautiful work. He [Martin Prior] emailed the gallery and asked if this is something we would be interested in. We almost fell off our chairs.
‘‘It is really exciting because the gallery does not have a great holding of McCahon’s work.’’
Vangioni said the donated artwork meant the gallery had 12 paintings by McCahon.
‘‘It is not something we would be able to buy,’’ he said.
In September, 2016, a McCahon painting Canoe Tainui sold for $1.35m, setting a record as the most expensive artwork sold at auction in New Zealand.