Lake Manapouri by Paul Wren. An early New Zealand original oil painting on board by New Zealand artist H T Garratt. Early morning sky over Lake Manapouri, in good condition for age and presented in its old oak frame.
Henry Thomas Garratt (1875-1953) as well as being a hugely successful early New Zealand painter is also a very interesting character. Born and based in Auckland, his favourite subject matter was the New Zealand landscape and it has been speculated that he painted more than 3000 landscapes during his professional career. His popular paintings sold throughout New Zealand between approximately 1905 to mid 1930s. Interestingly though, his signature appears on very few of his paintings, rather he was known to have painted under numerous pseudonyms, the most widely known being De Ritz and Paul Wren. One newspaper review of the time remarks "Mr De Ritz is an artist who paints nature very faithfully and with scrupulous regard for detail. The water scenes are very fine, and in all his works he attains a degree of perfection which marks him out as an artist of very superior gifts"
An immensely interesting artist with a fascinationg history - painter, signwriter musician, entertainer - which is why, perhaps, his paintings are becoming more sought after.
Including frame 730mmW x 365mmH
