James McLachlan Nairn

Aotearoa New Zealand / Scotland, b.1859, d.1904

Wellington Harbour

Tags: boats, buildings (structures), cities, harbors, seas, ships, urban landscapes, wharves

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James Nairn’s arrival in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1890 was like a breath of fresh air for the country’s conservative art circles. Originally from Scotland, Nairn was a member of a progressive group of painters known as the Glasgow Boys, who were influenced by French developments in painting during the 1870s and 1880s, and particularly impressionism. He settled in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington and became a strong influence on a younger generation of artists, both as a teacher and a professional artist. This luminous sun-soaked pastoral scene was painted at Silverstream, in the Hutt Valley within easy reach from Wellington. It was here that Nairn and other artists associated with the Wellington Sketch Club rented Pumpkin Cottage, which can be seen in the background. The artists developed a sense of comradery in the club, enjoying travelling from Wellington to Silverstream for weekends of plein air painting together, developing and sharing their interests in impressionism.

(Timeless: Treasures from the Historical Collection 19 September 2026 – 30 May 2027)

Exhibition History

George Henry The Black Hat (detail) 1904. Oil on canvas. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, presented by the Canterbury Society of Arts, 1932 Maker unknown Bilas, ceremonial headdress. Papua New Guinea. Bird heads, feathers, cordage and stick. Collection of Canterbury Museum 2005.84.1
Ship Nails and Tail Feathers: Historic Treasures from the Collections of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and Canterbury Museum
William Sutton Untitled. Watercolour. Collection of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, William A. Sutton bequest, 2000
Nature's Own Voice
Image: uploads/2026_09/2003_109.jpg
other labels about this work

  • In this work James Nairn focuses on the busy wharves of Wellington harbour. The harbour's timeball tower, at the head of the Railway Wharf, can be seen in the distance. Wellington harbour was a favourite subject for Nairn, one that he explored repeatedly from 1891 when he settled there.

    One of his primary interests was in the effects of light on the surface of the water. Here his rapid, loose technique effectively captures the vibrant sense of light playing on water.

    Nairn was born in Scotland and studied at the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts and at the Academie Julian, Paris. He was a part of the Glasgow School of painters ('The Glasgow Boys') who were influenced by the French Impressionists. Nairn emigrated to New Zealand in 1890 and taught at the Wellington Technical College. He exhibited with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Art but in 1892, dissatisfied with this institution, formed the Wellington Art Club. In 1894 Nairn rented Pumpkin Cottage, which became a favourite meeting place for artists interested in outdoor painting.