Editorial: Art tizz about to happen?

A call to the Northern Advocate could send New Zealand's art world into a tizz.

The paper took a call late last week from a reader who had spotted a story on our national pages about an art expert's search for CF Goldie paintings in Hawke's Bay. Goldie was an artist born in 1870, who many New Zealanders know for his portraits of tattooed Maori.

His work can fetch up to $500,000, but also carries historical and spiritual weight.

Goldie was criticised, apparently, for holding predominantly racist - and typical of the time - views toward Maori.

However, his work has created an historical collection of ta moko work, and his evocation of tupuna has spiritual significance within tikanga Maori.

"I have what I think is a Goldie hanging on my wall," our reader said.

We paid him a visit. Journalists know when someone is trying to pull the wool ... this reader has a genuine story, if the painting is not genuine he will be as surprised as anyone.

His family have had the artwork for a long time after it was painted by Goldie, our reader believes, from a photograph before he became famous and established his unique style. Experts have not ruled out its authenticity - and the story is plausible.

We've chosen not to identify the man. His friends and family may recognise him and the painting, but at this point we are wary of identifying him to the wider public. Goldies are valuable and we don't want him targeted.

It seems the painting, regardless of its worth, will remain on our reader's wall. He seems to have no plans to sell it.

It's important to his family, as an heirloom, which is all the more reason to keep his identity secret, we believe.