Heaphy, Charles, 1820-1881 :Crater of White Terrace. [1849?]

Shows a series of silica thermal terraces, with a steaming crater in the background, Maori swimming in and seated and standing round a lower left-hand pool, a European with hat and shoulder-bag, possibly the artist, leaning on the edge of the lower left-hand pool. Bushes grow on both sides of the Terraces with a few growing above a central pool.

Entitled "The White Terrace, Lake Rotomahana [1859]" in Tony Murray-Oliver's "A folio of water colours" by Charles Heaphy. This work is dated 1849 because of an 1849 sketch of the White Terraces in a Mantell diary in Manuscripts, which says it is "after Charles Heaphy". In 1859 Heaphy gave a painting of the Terraces to Hochstetter. There is no proof that Heaphy went to The Terraces, and he may have worked from a photo (which may indicate a later date).

In one of Mantell's diaries in Manuscripts & Archives Section is a sketch of the White Terraces "after Mr Heaphy". The item before it is dated 1849 and that after it, 1850. In 1859, Heaphy gave a painting of The Terraces to Hochstetter. He is not known for certain to have visited the Terraces and may possibly have worked from a photograph, although the watercolour does not have the static look of an image copied from a photograph. See also AT3/1/1 suggesting that the work is original, not copied from a photograph. If the suggested dating of late 1840s is correct, photography was still very uncommon in New Zealand and is an unlikely source for Heaphy's work.

Other Titles - White Terraces

Other Titles - The White Terrace, Lake Rotomahana [1859]

Inscriptions: Recto - bottom right - Chas Heaphy; Verso - Crater of white Terrace [in faint pencil]

Heaphy appears to have drawn himself in several of his watercolours, cf his Whakari or White Island (C-025-018)

Quantity: 1 watercolour(s).

Physical Description: Watercolour, 393 x 605 mm