Fay and Jane Birkinshaw

These girls are the daughters of Rita Angus’s friends Margaret and Frank Birkinshaw. Margaret was a feminist novelist, Frank a doctor. They were part of a vibrant, politically active community of artists, musicians, writers, and publishers in 1930s Christchurch.

Margaret hated the flat ‘garishness’ of this portrait and wanted to leave it behind when returning to England in 1946. A friend ran up with the painting just as the boat was leaving the dock. Tempted to drop it into the harbour, Margaret instead asked for it to be returned to Angus.