Inch Clutha Bush, Otago - JT Thomson 1868

Inch Clutha Bush, Otago
Artist: John Turnbull (J.T.) Thomson (1821–1884)
Signed: J.T. Thomson 1868 (Front left)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Provenance: This is an original, unique landscape by the former Surveyor General of New Zealand.
Conditon: Small tear near top left corner, cracks on oil paint
Price: please enquire for price

A Rare Record of Early Otago by a Pioneer Polymath
This 1868 painting of Inch Clutha is a significant historical artifact from the "New Zealand period" of John Turnbull Thomson. Thomson is a legendary figure in both Singaporean and New Zealand history; a surveyor by trade, he used his professional eye to create some of the most accurate visual records of the 19th-century frontier. 
Historical and Geographic Context

• Inch Clutha: Located in South Otago, Inch Clutha is a large island formed by the branching of the Clutha River. In 1868, this area was a burgeoning agricultural district, and Thomson—as the Chief Surveyor of Otago—would have known its topography intimately.
• The 1868 Significance: This was a prolific period for Thomson. Having already planned the layout of Invercargill and explored the interior, his 1868 works often capture the pristine, undeveloped beauty of the South Island before intensive settlement.
• J.T. Thomson who designed Horsburgh Lighthouse and Cavenagh Bridge. His style is famously "architectural," focusing on precise proportions and lighting.
  

A Collector’s Treasure
Because Thomson's sketches were often done in the field and later finished as oil or watercolour paintings, original signed works like this are rare and highly sought after.