Samuel Moreton's 'Cathedral Spire, Lake Manapouri'

Samuel Moreton's 'Cathedral Spire, Lake Manapouri'

Samuel Moreton (1843?-1921) was Lake Manapouri's turn of the century artist-explorer. Based in Invercargill, Moreton made several excursions around Manapouri by himself, with students, or with other artists.

Moreton was transfixed by Manapouri's majesty, which he sought to capture in both art and words. The two came together in a series of articles he produced for New Zealand Illustrated. This pencil and wash drawing shows explorers clambering over the towering Cathedral Peaks. Moreton concluded his article:

I have heard people from many lands use extravagant language over nothing in particular, but if you are desirous of establishing in your memory a scene that shall never suffer displacement, let me ask you to pay a visit to Mana-wai-pouri, the Queen Lake of New Zealand, and second to none other in the world.

The Alexander Turnbull holds drawings, photographs, writings, albums and watercolour paintings from Moreton's explorations of Lake Manapouri.

Samuel Moreton biography – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography website

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga O Aotearoa, must be obtained before any reuse of this image

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