William Beetham

William Beetham Self-portrait 1850s. Beetham Family Collection

William Beetham (25 July 1809 – 3 August 1888) was an English-born portrait painter, who painted mainly in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. He exhibited his paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (1834–53) and painted in Hamburg, Copenhagen and at the court of the Tsar in Saint Petersburg.[1] He emigrated to New Zealand in 1855 and became a significant figure as a colonist, pastoralist and portrait artist.[2] He had a society clientele and received commissions to paint portraits of aristocrats and national leaders, including important Māori Rangatira chiefs. Beetham's paintings are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London[3] and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.[4] He was a founder and President of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 1882.[5] Mezzotint prints of Beetham's drawings are in the permanent collection of the Science Museum, London[6] Beetham's paintings and drawings have also sold at Bonhams auction house.[7]

  1. ^ "Rough start for majestic house". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  2. ^ "BEETHAM, William RA 1809–1888". victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  3. ^ "William Beetham Portraits – National Portrait Gallery, London". npg.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Painting: Dr. Featherston and the Maori Chiefs, Wi Tako and Te Puni". tepapa.govt.nz.
  5. ^ "History of the Academy – New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts". nzafa.com. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  6. ^ "William Beetham Mezzotint – Science Museum, London". sciencemuseum.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  7. ^ "William Beetham Mezzotint – Bonhams Auction House". Bonhams.com. Retrieved 7 March 2017.