B.

And let it begin with me

Behind the scenes

September 21 is the International Day of Peace, first celebrated by the United Nations thirty years ago today.

Completed after the end of the Second World War, A Goddess of Mercy expresses Rita Angus's vision of a peaceful future and her belief in the role women could play in averting war. Her contemporary goddess watches over a beautiful, hopeful world, while the melting snow, ploughed fields and yellow crocus herald the arrival of spring and the possibility of new beginnings.

Rita Angus A Goddess of Mercy 1945–7. Oil on canvas. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Reproduced courtesy of the Rita Angus estate

Rita Angus A Goddess of Mercy 1945–7. Oil on canvas. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Reproduced courtesy of the Rita Angus estate