Jonathan Grant Galleries
Marcus King
Illustrator & Painter
Marcus King
New Zealand 1891 – 1984
Marcus King was born in 1891 in Taranaki, where his father was postmaster. In his ninth year the family moved to Tapanui, Southland. King yearned for a career in art and at the age of 15 he won a junior cadetship in the architectural division of the Public Works Department in Wellington. A transfer to Auckland in 1906 enabled him to attend evening classes at the Elam School of Art under an inspiring Swedish painter, Edward Friström. The young Marcus King and Edward Friström developed a lively friendship and went sketching together around the Auckland region. When King returned to Wellington in 1915, Friström stayed with him and the two artists continued working together and exhibiting at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts. The First World War disrupted this happy and fruitful time. In 1915 Fristöm left New Zealand for the United States of America and King later enlisted in the army. After returning from the War, King left the civil service and went to work in advertising as a commercial artist. During this time he also taught art at the Wellington Technical Institute. It was King’s practice as a well-established commercial artist that led him to join the Quoin Club. The club, which borrowed its name from the printing process, promoted the fostering of Arts & Crafts in Auckland. The club and Marcus King together promoted the idea of utilizing traditional commercial printing processes in order to create works of fine art. This experience is evident in King’s commercial posters of the time. During his commercial career, King kept up his association with the Academy of Fine Arts and served on the council from 1929 to 1941 with artists such as D. K. Richmond, N. Welch and M. Tripe. King also continued to exhibit at the Academy until 1964. After ten years of working in various agencies, King returned to the civil service in 1935. Marcus King is perhaps best known for the significant body of commercial and fine art work that he created for the New Zealand Tourism Department. King’s paintings and posters were of such quality that they were sent all over the world, marketing the pristine beauty of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Having established himself as a painter of considerable ability, King received numerous commissions. The Wellington City Council commissioned an oil painting of the city and harbour, which was given by the city to Lord Freyberg when he finished his term as Governor General. Another commission saw two of his paintings destined for the South Pole. One of his favourite projects during this time was a series of paintings depicting Maori life prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Two of these works used to hang in the Commonwealth Institute in London. Marcus King has been described as ‘small and sprightly’ with a ‘huge personality’, a very religious man, who was widely admired for his creative talent. It was his habit to sign his paintings with a large flamboyant signature and he always carefully crafted his own canvasses, often using Swedish hardboard. King holds an important place in 20th Century New Zealand art following a distinguished career as an artist and also as one who used his talent to capture and promote the beauty of New Zealand. Marcus King leaves as his legacy to the nation, a collection of fine New Zealand landscape paintings, as well as a significant body of commercial artwork.
Illustrated front cover detail: Mount Egmont from Kaponga Oil on board 45 x 65 cm, signed
Manuka Thicket, Karehana Bay, Porirua Harbour Acrylic on canvas 29 x 39 cm, signed
Nocturne, Seatoun Watercolour 21 x 22 cm, signed
Mt Cook, Southern Alps from South Westland, Oil on board 40 x 50 cm, signed Provenance: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Milford Sound Oil on board 40 x 50 cm, signed Provenance: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Otago Landscape Oil on board 40 x 51 cm, signed
Morning, Monaco Beach, Nelson Oil on board 44 x 60 cm, signed and dated 1964
Wellington Harbour Oil on board 26 x 36 cm, signed
Brod Bay, Lake Te Anau Oil on board 91 x 121 cm, signed
Portrait of a Gentleman smoking Oil on board 49 x 40 cm, signed
A Bowl of Fruit Oil on board 25 x 35 cm, signed
Hiking in the Hooker Valley before Mt Sefton & the Footstool Oil on board 40 x 50 cm, circa. 1955 - 57
Bush country on the road between Wanganui and Raetihi Oil on board 30 x 39 cm, signed
Fishing by a Stream, Hira, Nelson Oil on board 20 x 30 cm signed
Mt Ruapehu and Mt Ngauruhoe Oil on board 30 x 48 cm, signed
Afternoon, Palliser Bay Oil on board 30 x 40 cm, signed
Wellington from Central Park Oil on board 25 x 35 cm, signed circa. 1926
Breezy Day, Blenheim Oil on canvasboard 31 x 39 cm, signed
Elizabeth McPhee Oil on board 50 x 36 cm, signed
Morning, Rona Bay Wellington Oil on board 38 x 43 cm, signed
Hillside slopes, Plimmerton Acrylic on canvas 29 x 39 cm, signed
Spring blossoms, Nelson Oil on board 60 x 90 cm signed
Cecil Peak, Wakatipu Acrylic on canvas 17 x 22 cm, signed
Wellington Harbour Panorama Watercolour 15 x 55 cm, signed
Town and Country Panorama Watercolour 13 x 50 cm, signed
Celebrating the commercial art of Marcus King Selling the Dream: The Art of Early New Zealand Tourism by Peter Alsop, Gary Stewart and Dave Bamford (published by Craig Potton Publishing) is the first dedicated and extensive celebration of tourism posters and other publicity that helped promote New Zealand, both locally and to the world, until the 1960s. This was a pivotal period in the history of New Zealand publicity, before television and colour photography changed the publicity landscape forever, creating not only a tourism marketing proposition but a sense of national identity as well. The imagery is some of the finest graphic art ever produced in New Zealand, and as arresting and impressive today as when it was first created. The book contains close to 1000 images (including a large collection of work by Marcus King) and 11 specially commissioned essays over 408 pages.
Order online www.sellingthedream.co.nz
280 Parnell Road PO Box 37 673 Parnell Auckland New Zealand Tel: (64-9) 308 9125 E-Mail: jg@jgg.co.nz
Website: www.jgg.co.nz
FA10/2012
Jonathan Grant Galleries