Peter McIntyre 29 June – 18 July.
Peter McIntyre is one of New Zealand’s most renowned artists, due to the ever popular presence of his books in the private libraries of New Zealand families.
McIntyre grew up in a creative environment in Dunedin, with his artistic pursuits avidly supported by his artist father, who signed him up for painting lessons under Dunedin artist Alfred O’Keeffe. After noticing his son’s lack of interest in a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago, McIntyre’s father encouraged him to study art at the Slade School of Art in London. Whilst at the Slade, McIntyre thrived from the study of old masters, such as Raphael and Ingres, and received several prizes in drawing and composition during his final year.
Following the completion of his studies, McIntyre worked as a commercial artist in Britain and became heavily influenced by the European avant-garde movements that developed in the 1930s, particularly Cubism. When war broke out in 1939, McIntyre enlisted as a gunner with the 34th Anti-tank Battery, a New Zealand volunteer unit formed in London. Sent to Egypt with his platoon, McIntyre was soon contributing illustrations to the British war magazine Parade.
Pictured image: Early Winter, Lindis Pass, Oil on canvas, 76 x 101 cm, Signed