"Goldie will never go out of fashion in the art world. He portrays the spirit of the Maori people in a way that can never be done in a photograph and that is a rare artistic ability."
Memories - An Arawa Chieftainess - Rakapa is an oil on wood panel painting from 1910, and Tamaiti Tukino - A chieftainess of the Ngatituwharetoa Tribe an undated oil on wood panel.
Goldie was most famous for painting Maori dignitaries. The subjects of both paintings auctioned tonight were the wives of chiefs.
Rakapa, the wife of Arawa chief Petera te Pukuatua, was said to be one of Goldie's favourite models. He painted her at least five times.
Memories - An Arawa Chieftainess - Rakapa, was signed and dated by Goldie.
The second painting depicted Tamaiti Tukin, of Ngatituwharetoa, aged 95.
Goldie was born in Auckland in 1870. He showed artistic promise from an early age, winning prizes from the Auckland Society of Arts and the New Zealand Art Students' Association.
A portrait by Goldie of Rutene Te Uamairangi was the most expensive painting sold at auction in New Zealand when a buyer paid $573,000 for it in November 2010.
Another painting, Hori Pokai - Sleep, 'tis a gentle thing sold at the same auction house for $400,000 in March 2008.
The sale began at 6.30pm today, at the International Art Centre at 202 Parnell Road.
Another work auctioned tonight was Vera Cummings' Life Study, Chieftainess of the Arawa Tribe, which sold for $16,000. It was expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
All 109 art works can be viewed at www.internationalartcentre.co.nz.
