Rhona Haszard (1901-31), New Zealand, Morning calm, Camaret, 1926, oil paint on canvas. Gift of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, 1936

Casting the net wide

In this work, Rhona Haszard has simplified the buildings of a small French fishing village into abstract shapes, painted in a blend of pastel colours.

Born in Thames, Haszard trained as an artist in Christchurch before she left New Zealand in 1925. She travelled extensively, living and painting in the Channel Islands, England, France, and Egypt. Away from New Zealand, she quickly absorbed new ideas about art.

In 1931, Haszard died tragically in Egypt. She had already established a reputation in Europe, and a memorial exhibition in New Zealand two years after her death brought her reputation home.