A portrait by Charles Frederick Goldie, missing from public view for over a century, is expected to fetch approximately $420,000 at an upcoming sale. Titled Lost in Thought, Ngāheke, An Arawa Chieftain, the painting resurfaced in Australia in 2020 after its last recorded exhibition in 1917. NZ artbroker director Jen McBride confirmed the artwork’s authenticity following extensive technical examination and research into its history.
Verification and Provenance
Confirming the painting’s history required a significant investigative effort to trace its origins. According to Jen McBride, the process involved multiple independent expert reports and a rigorous study of conservation records. A major breakthrough occurred when researchers matched a catalogue number on the back of the painting to the original 1917 Canterbury Society of Arts annual exhibition in Christchurch. The work originally featured an oval veneer, which helped experts reconcile the piece with historical documentation. Goldie frequently utilized photographs to inform his portraits, and this particular work aligns closely with archival images held in national collections.
Historical Significance of the Subject
The portrait depicts a high-ranking chieftain and priest of the Tuhourangi Ngāheke tribe of Te Arawa. The subject held a role of significant cultural importance, specifically tasked with scraping human bones following exhumation to prepare them for reburial. This responsibility rendered the chieftain highly tapu within his community. The painting serves as a visual record of this traditional practice and the status of the individuals involved.
Market Entry and Future Outlook
The painting was purchased from a Melbourne estate in 2020 by a buyer who, according to McBride, “took a gamble on it.” After spending years verifying the work’s provenance and restoring it, the owner is now moving to present the piece to the market. The listing is scheduled to go live on Sunday, followed by a public viewing night at the NZ artbroker gallery in Christchurch on July 23. Given the rarity of the work and the confirmation of its history, the portrait is likely to draw significant interest from collectors. If the sale reaches the expected $420,000, it would reflect the high market value currently placed on verified Goldie portraits that have been absent from the public record.
Worth a look