1890–1900
Wellington Harbour, James Nairn
The last decade of the 19th century was highly significant for the development of the visual arts in New Zealand. The main reason was the arrival of several professional painters from Europe – Petrus van der Velden (1837–1913), James Nairn (1859–1904) and Girolamo Nerli (1860–1926) – who contributed fresh ideas through their teaching and practice, invigorating the local art scene. All three men arrived quite coincidentally from 1889 to 1890.