Petrus van der Velden
Netherlands / Aotearoa New Zealand / Australia, b.1837, d.1913
The Mouse-trap
- 1893
- Oil on canvas
- Purchased 2012
- 1050 x 910mm
- 2012/038
Tags: animals, boys, mice (animals), people (agents), youth
The Dutch painter Petrus van der Velden arrived in Christchurch in 1890 for what was intended to be a short visit to New Zealand. Staying longer than he had planned, he made an impact on the local scene as a ‘real artist’ from old Europe in their midst.
This painting was shown by a Christchurch art dealer in 1893, and described by a reporter:
The picture is entitled ‘The Mouse-trap’, and represents a boy holding the trap with a mouse in it which he has just caught. The face of the boy is beautifully painted, the expression of pleasure being very cleverly caught.
(Beasts, 2015)