Fox, William, 1812-1893 :Lake Howick. [February 1846].

Shows a long view down Lake Rotoroa (probably looking south), with Heaphy, Fox, Brunner and Kehu in a rowboat with their baggage, near the start of their exploratory journey of 1846. They are shown in the left foreground of the picture. In the far distance is a range of rocky mountains, and to the right of the lake are stands of tall trees and smaller bush. One of the hillsides facing the lake has experienced a landslide which has cleared it.

The watercolour has been made on two pages now stuck together, and have been taken from the artist's sketchbook of the exploratory trip. Unlike the other views, it was not sent to England for use by Fox's employers, the New Zealand Company.

Fox "discovered" and named Lake Howick, which later reverted to its Maori name, Rotoroa.

Exhibited in 'Picturing Paradise; the colonial watercolours of William Fox', Exhibition at National Library Gallery 25 February - 18 June 2000; Hocken Library, Dunedin, 11 September - 15 October 2000. Curated by Jill Trevelyan.

Other Titles - Lake Rotoroa

Inscribed with title lower right, and with partially trimmed additional information lower right.

Inscriptions: Recto - bottom right - [Title] / [Looking S to ?]

Quantity: 1 watercolour(s).

Physical Description: Watercolour, 182 x 517 mm.

Provenance: The artist originally gave the work to Mary Pitts Tucker, the wife of his secretary William Robert Edward Brown, and it has descended through their son Charles Walter Pitts-Brown through the family to Mr Brian Pitts-Brown of Waikato. The Peter McLeavey Gallery sold it on behalf of Mr Pitts-Brown.