BURGE, MAUDE (1865-1957)

“A Day At The Beach” (c.1930)
Watercolour
20 x 35cm
Signed lower left
*private collection, Sydney
 
Burge was an important and influential New Zealand Modernist. She was a pupil of James Nairn and trained under C.F. Goldie at his studio in Auckland. Burge painted one of Goldie's favourite early models Ina Te Papatahi, of the Ngāpuhi iwi tribe. C.F. Goldie described Burge as being a better portrait painter of the Māori than himself. Burge exhibited in the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts under her maiden name, Williams, from 1883–1906; and then from 1926, under her married name. Burge spent many years abroad until the mid-1930s when she returned to live in New Zealand. While painting in Europe, Burge was as a pupil of English watercolourist Fred Mayer and was associated with British artists Frank Brangwyn and Philip Connard. Burge travelled extensively and painted watercolours of still lifes, market scenes and beach scenes in St. Tropez, Morocco and Dalmatia. Burge became a friend and painting companion of fellow New Zealand artist Frances Hodgkins. Hodgkins painted still lifes at Burge's garden in St. Tropez, 1931 and they painted together in Majorca and Ibiza. Hodgkins described Burge in her published letters as a "nervy changeable charming woman". They painted together at the Burge family home in St.Tropez and in Ibiza. Burge's paintings are held in the permanent collection of Auckland Art Gallery, the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Art Gallery of New Zealand, the Fletcher Trust Collection, the National Library of New Zealand and among private art collectors in the northern and southern hemispheres. Burge exhibited her paintings at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.