Te Papa
With Te Papa Curator Modern Art Lizzie Bisley
Rita Angus painted ‘Tree’ in 1943.
She was staying in the South Island town of Greymouth. It was a calm, contemplative trip at the end of winter.
Tree (watercolour) (1943) by Rita AngusTe Papa
'Tree' is almost symmetrical – and remarkably constrained.
Its delicacy and clarity are reminiscent of Japanese prints.
Angus was a very skilled watercolourist.
Here she combines fluid washes of colour
with incredibly detailed, precise lines.
'Tree' shows Angus’ spiritual connection to nature
drawn from careful observation of the natural world.
Angus was a committed pacifist. This winter cherry tree, with its promise of spring regrowth, had particular significance when Angus painted it – in the middle of the Second World War.
Text by Te Papa curators Lizzie Bisley and Hanahiva Rose, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2022.
All images reproduced courtesy of the Estate of Rita Angus.
