The First Collection

How do you make an art gallery?

Private collections of art and antiquities have existed for centuries, and have often been accessible to the public through appointment or the public nature of their display – take for example, the art created for the Catholic Church. The British Museum opened to the public in 1777, the Uffizzi Gallery opened in 1789, but it is argued that the first truly public art museum was the Musée du Louvre in Paris which opened to the masses in 1793. It was the first collection of state ‘owned’ art works placed on display for the public to view (their ownership claims, like many other museums, is questionable as much of the artwork was acquired through war pillaging and other dubious collection methods).  It was part of the egalitarian ethos of the revolutionaries that these masterpieces should belong and be accessible to everyone.

These places of cultural value are tied very strongly to the search for identity. In the case of the Louvre it is overtly tied to their quest for a new version of nationhood, in New Zealand the history of art galleries have a similar history – often starting through the desire of an individual or group of people to create an artistic identity for their community (within the Western/European tradition).

William YEAMES (English, b.1835, d.1918), Dawn of the Reformation, 1867, oil on canvas, 1230 x 2000mm. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery Founding Donation, gifted by Mrs Amelia Suter in memory of her husband Bishop Andrew Burn Suter in 1895

The Suter Art Gallery Te Aratoi o Whakatū is a memorial to the second Bishop of Nelson, Andrew Burn Suter (1830-1895). Bishop Suter and his wife Amelia travelled to Nelson in 1867 to lead the Anglican diocese and they became major figures in early Nelson society. In addition to his official duties, Bishop Suter also busied himself with artistic pursuits as a recreational painter and collector of art. In 1889 he established the Bishopdale Sketching Club (now the Nelson Suter Art Society) and served as its first President and critic. He was also a friend of the painter John Gully (1819-1888) and developed a substantial collection of that artist’s work.

John GULLY (English, b.1819, d.1888), Cable Bay from Maori Pa, 1882, watercolour on paper, 627 x 827mm. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery Founding Donation, gifted by Mrs Amelia Suter in memory of her husband Bishop Andrew Burn Suter in 1895

In 1890, the Bishop suffered a stroke which left him incapacitated for the last five years of his life. During this period he discussed his ‘long cherished wish’ to present an art gallery to the people of Nelson. Immediately after the Bishop’s death in 1895, Amelia began to realise her husband’s dream. She gifted some land, money and part Bishop Suter’s art collection as the founding donation. Herself unwell, Amelia then returned to England and died barely a year after her husband.

Amelia left the building of a gallery in the hands of the founding Board of Trustees, comprising leading figures in Nelson society. In 1899 the ‘Bishop Suter Memorial Art Gallery’ designed by Frederick de Jersey Clere (1856-1952) was opened alongside the old Matthew Campbell School. 

The founding donation consisted of approximately 32 artworks – only 26 of those remain in the collection today and their loss a tale for another day – 23 of which are by John Gully and established The Suter from its first days as the home of New Zealand’s largest collection of that artist’s work. We now hold 47 of his paintings.

John GULLY (English, b.1819, d.1888), Bishopdale in 1874, 1874, watercolour on paper, 477 x 577mm. The Bishop Suter Art Gallery Founding Donation, gifted by Mrs Amelia Suter in memory of her husband Bishop Andrew Burn Suter in 1895

One of my favourite paintings in the founding collection is Gully’s Bishopdale in 1874. Bishop Andrew Suter's home, Bishopdale, sits on top of a hill (centre right) with the Bryant Ranges in the background.  Bishopdale is surrounded by four other buildings.  The two buildings in the valley indicate where Waimea Road is located today.  The edge of the Grampians is visible in the mid-ground at left.

It reflects the importance of the Suter’s in Nelson society (their home was MASSIVE!) as well as Gully’s skill as a watercolourist. He was a master of the technique – although not trained as one, so not retained as the drawing master by Nelson Collage after his temporary contract ended as they desired a tutor with a more formal art education [1]. The detail and depth he was able to achieve with this famously delicate method is truly incredible.

The collection continued to grow in the years following the founding donation, primarily through purchases with funds from bequests, public subscription, and gifts, and now includes over 1500 artworks.  

It has diversified significantly over time, but given that so many of the initial collection was watercolours it wasn’t hard to branch out! This development also reflects the changes in our society and artistic practices. We don’t exist in a cultural vacuum, while we do preserve our artistic and cultural heritage we also must adapt to mirror our contemporary realty to ensure our relevance in the future.

Sarah McClintock
Suter Curator

[1] https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/topic/942 accessed 20 April 2020