Rollason, James Bernard Richard Walter, 1856-1906
Bernard Richard Walter Rollason was born in Birmingham in 1856 to parents Samuel Frederick Rollason and Sarah Oakes Holt, china merchants. Rollason took up painting later in life and produced his body of work on New Zealand landscapes in late 19th C - early 20th C. The name James was added in this period of time. He married twice. His first marriage to Sarah Frederica Amelia Pollington produced three sons. His second marriage was to Amelia Jane Gillingham née Tidd.
Artist who painted an oil showing Ngauranga Gorge, Wellington in late 1840s, but probably a much later copy, painted around 1900. Rollason is known to have painted other oils on board of South Island scenes; see Art Biographies Index. His style appears to be that of the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth century. A painting of "Wellington Harbour (of an earlier period)" in Dunbar Sloane auction for 27 November 1994 (lot 47) is signed and dated 1902. The signature on the paintings incorporates a J in the initial R of Rollason. There are newspaper advertisements for sales of oil paintings by 'J B Rollason' for 22 November 1893 in Wellington, and also for 'Jas Rollason' in 1902, 1905, 1905 and 1906 in Wellington. A sale of 20 oil paintings in Feilding in 1904 describes him as 'J. Rollason, the celebrated French Artist'. There is also a Magistrates Court judgement against Jas Rollason and for Gear and Co, for £4 18 shillings and 7d, in Wellington on 24 August 1893.
![Rollason, James Bernard Richard Walter, 1856-1906: [Ngauranga, late 1840s]. [ca 1900]](https://thumbnailer.digitalnz.org/?resize=150%3E&src=https%3A%2F%2Fndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz%2FNLNZStreamGate%2Fget%3Fdps_pid%3DIE17354651)
Online
Image
Date:
1845 - 1890 - 1850 - 1900
By:
Rollason, James Bernard Richard Walter, 1856-1906; Futter, Frederick Roy, 1906-2001
Reference:
G-701
Description:
Shows a coach and four about to cross a bridge over Ngauranga stream in the foreground. The Hutt Road is visible to the right. Three buildings, including Futter's Tavern in the background. There is a half-canoe monument to Te Wharepouri, upright in the ground beyond the buildings and below the hills
Quite possibly a copy of an earlier work by another artist. Other known historical paintings by Rollason appear to be copied. He was known to be painting around 1900. See 'Ngauranga, late 1840s' negative 19460 1/2 for a possible original for Rollason's painting. The artist for 'Ngauranga, late 1840s' is unknown and the photographic print was among collection items held by Anthony Murray-Oliver, with no accompanying documentation. It seems likely that the painting was lent for copying in the 1960s. One extra detail in 'Ngauranga, late 1840s' is a cross on top of the hill closest to the sea; however, it lacks the additional cart and horse on the far side of the stream.
The painting includes a view of Futter's Tavern.
See also Brees, S.C. N'Houranga. engraving, plate 5, no.8 in his Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand (London, 1847) for an earlier view of Ngauranga with the monument to Te Wharepouri
Other Titles - Ngahauranga
Inscriptions: Recto - bottom right - Rollason [in red brush-point]
Quantity: 1 oil(s).
Physical Description: Oil on board 440 x 596 mm (sight)
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