Gottfried Lindauer
Gottfried Lindauer (5 January 1839 – 13 June 1926) was a Czech and New Zealand painter. He was famous for his portraits, including many of Māori people.
Also recorded as Gottfried Bohumir Lindaur · Bohumir Lindaur
Gottfried Lindauer

Gottfried Lindauer · Public domain
- Name
- Gottfried Lindauer
- Born
- 5 January 1839
- Birthplace
- Plzeň, Bohemia, Austrian Empire
- Died
- 13 June 1926
- Place of death
- Woodville, New Zealand
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Occupation
- painter · gardener · artist
- Fields
- visual arts
- Movements
- realism
- Education
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
- Teachers
- Leopold Kupelwieser · Joseph von Führich
- Languages
- Czech
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Documentary summary
Gottfried Lindauer (5 January 1839 – 13 June 1926) was a Czech and New Zealand painter. He was famous for his portraits, including many of Māori people.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1539348 · wikipedia · Gottfried Lindauer
In this article
Biography
Biography
Gottfried Lindauer studied at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Training under Leopold Kupelwieser and Joseph von Führich is recorded. The recorded working language is Czech. The field of work recorded is visual arts. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Places of work recorded in the authority are Auckland, Christchurch and Napier. Residence is recorded at Woodville. Work by Gottfried Lindauer is recorded in the collections of Auckland Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatū, Gallery of Western Bohemia and Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.

Māori Children playing Knucklebones by Gottfried Lindauer (1907). Oil on canvas at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Mr. H.E. Partridge, 1915
Gottfried Lindauer · Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Gottfried Lindauer • Born — 5 January 1839 • Birthplace — Plzeň, Bohemia, Austrian Empire • Died — 13 June 1926 • Place of death — Woodville, New Zealand • Relatives — Rebecca Petty (wife) Victor Wilhelm Lindauer (son)
Czech life and Austrian school
Czech life and Austrian school
• Illustration — Self-portrait, 1862 He was born Bohumír Lindauer in Plzeň (Pilsen), Bohemia, Austrian Empire (now part of the Czech Republic) on 5 January 1839. His father, Ignatz Lindauer was a gardener. His first drawing experience was plants and trees. From 1855 Lindauer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he took classes of Leopold Kupelwieser, Joseph von Führich and Professor Rohl. To increase his chances on the market, he decided to change his name from the Czech Bohumír to the German translation of his name, 'Gottfried'. From his studio in Plzeň he created paintings with religious themes for churches and painting frescoes in the Cathedral churches of Austria. His paintings attracted people, particularly the prominent people who were often the subjects of his paintings, including Bishop Jan Valerián Jirsík. After a sojourn in that city of eighteen months, he went to Moravia for three years.
New Zealand
New Zealand
• Illustration — Bust of Lindauer at Woodville, New Zealand, his final home To avoid being drafted by the Austro-Hungarian army he left for Germany in 1873. From there he sailed for New Zealand on the Reichstag in 1874, arriving in Wellington on 6 August. Many prominent Māori chiefs commissioned his work, which accurately records their facial tattoos, clothing, ornaments and weapons. A series of life-size portraits of Maori chiefs and warriors exhibited by Sir Walter Buller at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, 1886, were all by Lindauer, who had made the "Maori at home" a subject of special study. Lindauer's Maori paintings are, like many by Ellen von Meyern and Frances Hodgkins, associated with symbolist portraits of demure females with or without a child. One of these, a young poi dancer without a facial tattoo, was so admired by the Prince of Wales that Buller gave it to him. His most famous works are portraits of Heeni Hirini, also known as Ana Rupene, carrying a baby on her back. Lindauer painted this image 30 times. After visiting his native land in 1886–87, he settled in Woodville, near Wellington, having shortly before married Rebecca, the daughter of Benjamin Prance Petty. They had two sons, Hector and Victor, the latter a phycologist and teacher. Lindauer died in 1926 and is buried in the Old Gorge cemetery in Woodville. • Illustration — Portrait of Terewai Horomona (b.1866) without facial tattoo • Illustration — Hinepare, a woman of the Ngāti Kahungunu tribe with facial tattoo • Illustration — Paratene Te Manu with facial tattoo • Illustration — Heeni Hirini (also known as Ana Rupene) and child His portrait paintings now fetch high prices; in 2023 a portrait of Māori chief Harawira Te Mihakai sold for $NZ 1,009,008.
Identity
Identity
Gottfried Lindauer is recorded with the occupation visual artist. Classed in the genre portrait. Recorded as painter, gardener and artist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1839
Gottfried Lindauer was born on 5 January 1839.
1926
Gottfried Lindauer died on 13 June 1926.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Woodville
Residences
Plzeň.
Birth place
Activity and practice
What Gottfried Lindauer did, and where. Lindauer worked at Christchurch. Lindauer worked at Auckland. Lindauer worked at Napier. Lindauer worked at Nelson. Recorded as having studied at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Gottfried Lindauer”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1539348: Gottfried Lindauer
General reference · Wikidata
Related information
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Gottfried Bohumir Lindaur and Bohumir Lindaur. His recorded language was Czech. One child is recorded: Victor Wilhelm Lindauer. Formation and teaching. Lindauer studied at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. He trained under Leopold Kupelwieser and Joseph von Führich. Lindauer worked in visual arts. His work is associated with realism. He worked at Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, Nelson and Woodville. Connected to 1 other published record in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
Identity and origins
Career and activity
Recognition and collections
Work by Gottfried Lindauer is
Auckland Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Suter Te Aratoi o Whakatū and Gallery of Western Bohemia
Within the Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
18,792 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Gösta NystroemArtist
- Goswin van der WeydenArtist
- Gottardo ScottiArtist
- Gottfried LibaltArtist
- Gottfried MindArtist
- Gotthardt KuehlArtist
- Gotthold GlogerArtist
- Gottlieb WeltéArtist
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