George Dunlop Leslie’s ‘In the Wizard’s Garden’ was exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1904. It reflects the Victorian- and Edwardian-era taste for historical and literary themes, often interpreted as an escapist response to the uncertainties and pressures of the industrial age. The painting depicts a young medieval noblewoman seeking the guidance of a wizard to discover the secrets of the future. The theme is based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘Rappaccini’s Daughter’, a macabre tale set in a garden filled with poisonous plants. Leslie’s garden in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, served as the inspiration for the painting’s English setting. The painting was gifted to the Canterbury Society of Arts by Wolf Harris, a former Dunedin merchant and friend to many leading British artists.

Ship Nails and Tail Feathers, 10 June – 22 October 2023