This exhibition is now closed
W.A. Sutton: Watercolours of Italy
27 February –
25 April 2010
William Sutton Anghiari, From The Arezzo-Sansepolcro Road, 29 July 1974 1973–4. Watercolour. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, gift of the artist, 1989
An exhibition featuring a selection of works from Bill Sutton's 1973–4 Italian sojourn, highlighting his exquisite skill as a draughtsman and watercolourist.
In December 1973, Canterbury artist Bill Sutton undertook an extensive eight-month tour of Italy, immersing himself in the country's architecture and culture.
At every step of his trip, Sutton completed extraordinarily detailed watercolour studies of his surroundings, recording famous buildings, ruins and vistas.
W.A. Sutton: Watercolours of Italy provides a selection of works from his Italian sojourn that included Rome, Florence and Venice – highlighting Sutton's appreciation of Italy as well as his exquisite skill and ability as a draughtsman and watercolourist.
You can follow Sutton's tour of Italy on this map.
My Gallery
Collection works in this exhibition
Curator:
Peter Vangioni
Exhibition number: 840
Collection works in this exhibition (41)
Wild Flowers, Boboli Gardens, Florence 2 April 1974
Bill Sutton
Urbino, a note, 4 August 1974
Bill Sutton
San Vitale, Ravenna, 20 July 1974
Bill Sutton
Ruins Of Temple Of Apollo Sosianus, Rome, 20 Jan 1974
Bill Sutton
Ponte De L’Abazia, Venice, 11 June 1974
Bill Sutton
St Peters From The Janiculum, Rome, 15 Feb 1974
Bill Sutton
Palatine from the Circus Maximus, Rome 23 December 1973
Bill Sutton
Old House, Rio Malpaga, Venice, 11 June 1974
Bill Sutton
Notes, the Abbey of Pomposa, 15 July 1974
Bill Sutton
A note, S Spirito, Florence, 12 April 1974
Bill Sutton
S Maria della Pieve, from the Piazza Grande Arezzo, 28 July 1974
Bill Sutton
S Maria In Trastevere, Rome
Bill Sutton
Madonna Dell’Orto, Venice, 17 June 1974
Bill Sutton
Laurus Nobilis, Rome, 11 Feb 1974
Bill Sutton
Introduction And Timetable
Bill Sutton
Introduction ‘first version’
Bill Sutton
S. Gregorio and Rio Della Salute, Venice, 2 July 1974
Bill Sutton
The Grand Canal, Venice 1 May 1974
Bill Sutton
Frontispiece
Bill Sutton
From Sculpture In The Capitoline Museum, 23 Feb 1974
Bill Sutton
Forum Romanum, 21 Feb 1974
Bill Sutton
Florence from the Belvedere, 26 March 1974
Bill Sutton
The Doges’ Palace and St Marks From The Punta Della Dogana Venice 6 May 1974
Bill Sutton
The Dogana and Entrance to The Grand Canal, Venice, 17 May 1974
Bill Sutton
Distant Prospect of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, 23 July 1974
Bill Sutton
Chiaramonti Gregorian Profane Museum, Vatican, 4 Feb ’74
Bill Sutton
S Croce, Interior Frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi, Florence, 18 April 1974
Bill Sutton
Church and Via S. Ercolano, Perugia, 16 August 1974
Bill Sutton
The Church Piazza, Niccolo Tommaseo, Settignano, 7 April 1974
Bill Sutton
Campo S Trovaso, Venice, 6 July 1974
Bill Sutton
Bust and Tomb Inscription Of Veronese, S Sebastiano, Venice
Bill Sutton
The Arno, Florence, 6 April 1974
Bill Sutton
Arms of Federico, Duke of Urbino, with Inscription from the Courtyard of the Ducal Palace, Urbino
Bill Sutton
Arch of Septimus Severus From The Forum, Rome, 20 Feb 1974
Bill Sutton
Anghiari, From The Arezzo-Sansepolcro Road, 29 July 1974
Bill Sutton
Courtyard of the Doge’s Palace with S. Marco, Venice, 16 May 1974
Bill Sutton
Colosseum From The South, Rome, 5 January 1974
Bill Sutton
Florence from Fiesole, 5 April 1974
Bill Sutton
The Mausoleum of Theodoric, Ravenna 21 July 1974
Bill Sutton
The Cathedral, from Via Del Bastione Di S. Clemente. Arezzo, 26 July ’74
Bill Sutton
Rooftops, Perugia, from the Brufani Palace Hotel, 14 August 1974
Bill Sutton
Related
Exhibition
Te Tihi o Kahukura: The Citadel of Kahukura
18 February 2017 – 18 February 2018
Selected works by Bill Sutton considered from a Kāi Tahu perspective.
Exhibition
Personal Choice: W.A. Sutton’s Selection
23 September – 4 October 1987
An exhibition of works from the Gallery's permanent collection selected by renowned Canterbury artist W.A. Sutton.
Notes
The Watercolour Collection
The Gallery's Watercolour Collection had modest beginnings, but over the past 70 years it has grown steadily by gift and purchase and, of all the Collections, still maintains a largely traditional emphasis. When the Gallery opened in June 1932, just 28 of the 128 paintings on display were watercolours and, of these, 11 were by British artists and 17 by New Zealanders. Among the mostly nineteenth century British watercolours were those by Helen Allingham, Edgar Bundy, Matthew Hale, Laura Knight, William Lee Hankey and Ernest Waterlow. In contrast, the New Zealand watercolours were by mostly contemporary or early twentieth century artists and included works by James Cook, Olivia Spencer Bower, Margaret Stoddart, Maude Sherwood, Eleanor Hughes and Alfred Walsh. The foundation Watercolour Collection included two paintings of larger than usual dimensions. William Lee Hankey's We've been in the Meadows all day (1184 x 878mm) and Charles N. Worsley's Mount Sefton (996 x 1105mm) are still greater in scale than any other work in the Watercolour Collection.
