Walter Wright Britain, New Zealand, 1866-1933
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About Walter Wright
Born in England in 1866, Walter Wright emigrated to New Zealand in 1877. He began exhibiting his work from 1889 and with his brother, Frank, taught art privately in Auckland. He recorded new Zealand contemporary life with many of his paintings containing narrative and factual representations of Maori life. After winning a lottery, he was able to return to England to study from 1894 to 1897 at the Heatherley's School of Art. In 1908 after touring New Zealand the two brothers published 'New Zealand - Painted by F & W Wright: Described by Hon W P Reeves.' Walter painted mainly in oils, but also in watercolours and pastels.
The total number of works by Walter Wright offered for sale by auction since 1990 is 131, of which 96 (73%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $19,750 for Scows, Auckland Harbour sold by Webb's in October 1992. This year 2 works have been offered for sale. Works by Walter Wright are held by the Auckland Art Gallery, Museum Of New Zealand and Christchurch Art Gallery.
Walter Wright is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McGahey, Kate. The Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Artists Painters Printmakers Sculptors, Gilt Edge Publishing, Wellington, New Zealand, 2000. Page 277
- The Find New Zealand Artists web site: a database of artist names that directs researchers to the rich resources found in New Zealand's libraries, art society exhibition histories and published sources.
The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.
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