Chinese girl 1949 Wellington – a portrait of innocence
During his ‘gap year’ back in New Zealand in 1949-50, Douglas MacDiarmid worked in the centre of Wellington, and lived up the hill at Wadestown.
On the way home to his flat, he regularly called into a Chinese greengrocery to stock up on fresh supplies, and was fascinated by the little girl he observed “always somehow caught in hieratic poses and colours” seen through a gap in the doorway to their living quarters.
His peripheral vision was well-developed even then and took in a great deal in a few glances, enough to paint a couple of versions of her.
Unfortunately, we don’t know her name, or whether she still lives in Wellington, and she probably has no idea she was ever painted by Douglas! But she is certainly remembered in this delightful and timeless portrait that has remained in the same family ever since, passed down from generation to generation in its original frame.
The painting’s present owner cherishes the little portrait as much for its family associations as the image itself.
‘Certainly, his use of watercolour in this painting is superb: the washes of the background contrast beautifully with the solid blue blocks of her hat and clothes. When I say blue that is not fair – it’s sea-greenish blue – quite a particular balance of colour. Her face is painted in smooth soft pigment which contrasts with the direct gaze and firm fine lines of her features. Her black hair is straight yet fuzzy at the edges – on the cusp between natural and stylised. So, to me, all this is exquisite, but I also love it because the girl has a surprised, bemused, almost quizzical look. It’s still fresh.’
Following our initial post and callout in late 2017 for information about Chinese Girl 1949, we were contacted by a New Zealand collector with another painting of a Chinese girl by MacDiarmid from 1950.
Is this, possibly, the same beguiling young girl a year later? What do you think? Given Douglas’ fascination with his subject, it’s highly likely this painting that has recently come to light as a much-loved heirloom in another private family collection in Wellington is one and the same. Either way, the bright, compelling aura of this second painting has its own special charm. Perhaps the emergence of two portraits increases our chances of finding out who she is…
Do you know or remember the Chinese family who ran the greengrocers in 1949 in the street, “leading up from Parliament towards Wadestown – is it Molesworth St?” as Douglas remembers it? We would love to know more. Please contact us!
To read more about Douglas MacDiarmid’s fascinating journey through life Buy your copy of Colours of a Life – the life and times of Douglas MacDiarmid by Anna Cahill (2018)
