Peter McIntyre’s Pacific

The artist, Peter McIntyre, was born in Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1910 and had a long, distinguished painting career. He is principally known as a landscape painter but his portraits reveal his early start as a fashion illustrator.

The artist, Peter McIntyre, was born in Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand in 1910 and had a long, distinguished painting career. He is principally known as a landscape painter but his portraits reveal his early start as a fashion illustrator.

Abandoning his university choice of journalism, the artist travelled to the UK where he graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in London and subsequently worked in England. In 1939 he enlisted for a New Zealand unit and was sent to Egypt, and in 1941 he became New Zealand’s official war artist. On his return home, McIntyre opened a studio in Dunedin and, from there, started a successful international career.

Peter McIntyre’s paintings have often been derided by critics for their conservatism, his art was often the first that New Zealanders had seen and understood and the book, Peter McIntyre’s New Zealand, was a best-seller for more than 20 years.

A new book, Peter McIntyre’s Pacific, has been added to the collection. In this publication the artist explored a loop of the ocean, including Fiji, Tahiti, Mexico, Hawai’i, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica. Throughout the journey he recorded images – drawings and paintings – including many of people. 

It is these that are particularly interesting. In the portraits he captures not only the expressions of his subjects but also the garments and costume they are wearing. As the pictures were created in the 1960s they have captured a moment in time that has disappeared. These days, the costumes that are visible in the pictures can be seen in museums and copies are available for purchase on the tourist markets, but the images show how people used to wear them and the colours and textures of the clothes and costume come through vividly as you can see in the double-page spread from Fiji at the top of this article.