Mailbox
Today in Mailbox: Reception reports, response to Radio Prague's programmes on Facebook, Radio Prague's monthly quiz. Listeners/readers quoted: Jahangir Alam Manto, Juan Huitz, George Frierson, Meng Cheng, P. Sivashanmugham, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak, Deblina Biswas, Jayanta Chakrabarty, Hans Verner Lollike, Paul R Peacock, Colin Law, Mary Lou Krenek.
“It was the year of 1987 when I first tuned in to shortwave radio and found Radio Prague, from then on I was glued to the SW dial for Radio Prague. I have a good collection of Radio Prague QSL cards. I love to see them again and again. I was also an active member of your Radio Prague monitor club. Although I am a shortwave enthusiast, I also love to hear internet programmes and love to visit your web pages. I have to do it because you have no shortwave frequency at the present time. Your web page is very informative and a good source of my knowledge of the Czech Republic.”
“I love the Czech Republic. Lived here off and on, now mostly on, since 2000. Wife is Czech. But... I consider it the land that cuisine forgot. I'm embarrassed to take foreign visitors out. Truth is that Czech food can be good when homemade. Mother-in-law makes a few memorable dishes good on a cold day with beer. But never reproduced in a restaurant. Nota bene good, but more continental. Guess it's a matter of taste.”
And George Frierson replies:
We always welcome all your comments, via e-mail or on social media, so please keep them coming. Now let’s move on to our monthly mystery person quiz.
Meng Cheng from China wrote:
“As a regular listener of Radio Prague's English programmes, I like to take part in your quiz. According to the clue which you've disclosed on the latest edition of Mailbox, I guess that this great man must be Gottfried Lindauer. He has been remembered forevermore by both Czech Republic and New Zealand.”
P. Sivashanmugham from India sent us this answer:
“Gottfried Lindauer was born on the 5th of January 1839 in Pilsen. He was also known by the Czech name Bohumír. Despite his Catholic upbringing, he was later known to be an atheist. He specialised in portraits of the Maori which depicted the Maori life and customs. He also raised funds for the relief of Belgian war refugees. He continued to paint until his eyesight deteriorated. His paintings were highly valued by his contemporaries as ethnological and historical records.”
Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak from Poland sent us a quote from a recent Radio Prague programme:
Deblina Biswas from India writes:
“His first love in painting was with plants and trees. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Thereafter, he shifted his interest and started painting religious themes for churches. At that time he changed his name from the Czech version – Bohumír to Gottfried in German. In 1874, he moved from Europe to New Zealand on a boat and settled in Woodville near Wellington. Here he started his world-famous paintings of Maori aboriginals of New Zealand. He died on 13th of June 1926 and was buried in the Old Gorge Cemetery in Woodville.”
As always, Jayanta Chakrabarty from India sent us an elaborate answer:
“Professionally trained in Vienna's Academy of Arts, Lindauer started his career by painting on religious themes, cathedral frescoes and portraits of famous people like Bishop Jieschek. A decline in demand for portrait-making due to the advent of photography and also to avoid drafting in the Austrian military service, led him to emigrate to New Zealand in 1874. His main work started in Auckland where he was commissioned by businessman Henry Partridge for 30 long years. His paintings included portraits of European settlers but he specialized in portraits of Maori, the indigenous Polynesian settlers of New Zealand.
“Lindauer's invaluable work also served as ethnographic documents for research purposes. He was not only intimately involved with the Maori people but had high regards for them and their fascinating culture. In turn he was much revered by these simple people. It is said that at funerals of Maori chiefs, signed portraits painted by Lindauer were displayed near the corpse. Though settled in New Zealand, this great Czech soul never forgot his connections with his Motherland or fellow citizens. The Náprstek Museum in Prague holds testimony to this outstanding Czech in the form of Maori portraits, drawings of moko designs, artefacts and photographs of Maori subjects.”
Hans Verner Lollike from Denmark wrote:
“His father was a gardener, so it was obvious that plants and trees were among his first drawings. He studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna. From his studio came paintings for churches and portraits of rich people. In Vienna he changed his Slavic first name to the German Gottfried.
“To avoid military service he ended up in New Zealand in 1874. He made a name for himself with a series of paintings with Maori chiefs and life in Maori villages. He is richly represented in art museums in New Zealand and well known. He is another Czech person, who became better known in his (her) new country, than home.”
Paul R Peacock from Australia adds:
Colin Law from New Zealand sent us once again a detailed answer:
“After being given some details about New Zealand, including a description of beautiful unspoilt nature and nobility of the Maori people, Gottfried was determined to visit this distant land. In 1874 he left from Hamburg on the ‘Reichstag” headed for New Zealand. He first went to Nelson in the South Island where he learned English and met local Maori. The he began to paint their portraits. In 1875 he went to Auckland where he met Henry Partridge who wanted to preserve aspects of the Maori way of life, including the facial tattoos or 'moko', and who was for many years to fund Gottfried’s portraits of prominent Maori figures. The Partridge Collection is a permanent exhibition at the Art Gallery in Auckland City.
“Gottfried next settled in Napier, Hawkes Bay, where he opened a studio. In 1881 he was granted citizenship and in 1885 he moved to Marton, near Palmerston North, where he met and married Rebecca Petty who was born in England in 1849. The New Zealand Industrial Exhibition of 1885 in Wellington included 9 portraits by Lindauer and official records tell us: ‘These paintings look like living, are so realistic, how one could imagine technically absolutely perfect. It seems that the artist captured the look of painted people very happy way, also accessories played up realistically, truthfully testify about the main subject of the painting. Looking to the future value of these portraits, at the time of the extinction of the Maori race, irreplaceable. What's more, some people portrayed played a very important role in the recent history of the Maori.’”
And finally Mary Lou Krenek from the United States wrote:
“In order to avoid Austrian military service, he left for Germany and in 1874 boarded a boat to New Zealand. While in New Zealand, many prominent Maori chiefs commissioned his work, which accurately records their facial tattoos, clothing, ornaments, and weapons. Twelve portraits of Maori were successfully exhibited at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London in 1886. It made the ‘Maori at home’ a subject of special study. Lindauer and his wife visited Britain at this time.
“His works remain the best known and most popular paintings of Maori in New Zealand. Among the Maori the paintings are valued as memorials to ancestors and kin.”
Thank you so much for your well-researched answers and this time our prize goes to Rkia Sebbar from Morocco. Congratulations and here’s another mystery person and another chance to take part in our little quiz:
If you want to be included in our lucky draw, please make sure your answer reaches us by November 25th at the usual address, [email protected].
Mailbox will be back in four weeks’ time and in the meantime we’ll be looking forward to your reception reports, questions and comments, both in the mail and on our Facebook page. Until then, happy listening and take care.
