Even though Frances Hodgkins was widely recognised as one of Britain’s leading painters, the progressive, modern nature of her painting was hard for some in Ōtautahi Christchurch to accept. After her death in 1947, Pleasure Garden was one of six works by Hodgkins shipped to Ōtautahi by the Canterbury Society of Arts, who were keen to add an example to their permanent collection. However, the Society’s purchasing committee was not impressed and outright rejected the selection, instead opting for a more conservative painting from earlier in her career. A group of local art supporters including artists Rita Angus, Colin McCahon and Olivia Spencer Bower, raised the funds to purchase Pleasure Gardenand offered it as a gift to the Robert McDougall Art Gallery, Ōtautahi’s public art gallery at the time. The Christchurch City Council initially rejected the offer, but in 1951 the painting was accepted into the city’s public art collection where it has been loved by generations of visitors over the years.

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