The Māori Portraits

These portraits were done by Gottfried Lindauer, New Zealand’s leading painter of Māori in the 19th century. Because so many of the Māori men and women Lindauer portrayed were tribal leaders and well-known figures, they are central to the history of New Zealand.

The Māori are a group of indigenous people who migrated to the Northern part of New Zealand from Polynesia around 1300. Their customs and language have greatly influenced the identity of New Zealand, and today they make up about 14% of New Zealand’s population.