Vera Cummings (1891-1949) stands as a notable, if sometimes overlooked, figure in the annals of New Zealand art. An artist whose life was framed by the late colonial and early modern periods of her nation, Cummings carved a niche for herself primarily through her evocative landscape paintings. These works, often characterized by a deliberate omission of modern infrastructure, offered a romantic and perhaps nostalgic vision of Aotearoa, resonating deeply with certain audiences, including Māori living abroad. Her journey from a gifted child in a pioneer family to a dedicated artist provides a fascinating glimpse into the artistic and social fabric of early twentieth-century New Zealand.
Early Life and Formative Influences
Born in Thames, a historic gold-mining town in the Auckland region of New Zealand, in 1891, Vera Cummings entered a world shaped by the pioneering spirit of her antecedents. Her parents were settlers who had made the long journey from Ireland and Scotland, contributing to the burgeoning European presence in the country. Her father, Matthew Cummins, was a figure of community standing, known for his service as a volunteer firefighter. Her mother, Annie, hailed from Tasmania, bringing another layer of colonial experience to the family dynamic. The family later established themselves in Hamilton, near the St. John's Red Cross, a location that would have placed them within a growing provincial center.
From her early years, Vera exhibited a clear proclivity for the arts. This innate talent was particularly remarkable given that she contended with periods of ill health. Despite these physical challenges, her artistic promise was undeniable. It was this talent that paved her way to formal artistic training. She was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland, a significant achievement. Notably, she was among the youngest students to be admitted to the institution at that time, underscoring her precocious abilities. The Elam School, founded in 1888 under a bequest from Dr. John Edward Elam, was already establishing itself as a cornerstone of art education in New Zealand, and her time there would have provided her with foundational skills and exposure to various artistic currents.
Artistic Development at Elam
Attending the Elam School of Fine Arts would have immersed Vera Cummings in an environment where academic traditions were likely still strong, emphasizing drawing, observation, and the classical elements of art. Instructors at Elam during its early decades, such as Edward William Payton (Director from 1890) and later Archibald Fisher Nicoll (who became Director in 1920, though Cummings' initial study period might have been earlier), would have shaped the curriculum. Students were typically trained in still life, portraiture, and landscape, with an emphasis on representational accuracy.
The New Zealand art scene at this time was gradually evolving. While traditional British academic styles held sway, influences from Impressionism and Post-Impressionism were beginning to filter through, often brought back by artists who had studied abroad. Figures like Petrus Van der Velden (1837-1913), a Dutch painter who had a profound impact on New Zealand art with his dramatic landscapes and genre scenes, had already made his mark. Though he died when Cummings was in her early twenties, his influence on the perception and depiction of the New Zealand landscape was pervasive.
For a young artist like Cummings, Elam would have been a place to hone her technical skills. The focus on landscape painting, which became her specialty, suggests she was drawn to the natural beauty of her homeland, a common theme for many New Zealand artists seeking to define a local artistic identity. The school would have encouraged sketching trips and direct observation of nature, practices essential for a landscape painter.
The Signature Style: Landscapes Devoid of Modernity
Vera Cummings became particularly renowned for her landscape paintings. What distinguished her work was a specific and recurring characteristic: the depiction of New Zealand scenery largely untouched by human development, specifically landscapes rendered without roads, bridges, or other overt signs of modern European settlement. This artistic choice is significant and open to several interpretations.
On one level, it could reflect a romantic sensibility, a yearning for an idealized, pristine nature, a common trope in colonial art where the "new world" was often portrayed as an untamed Eden. By omitting roads and bridges, Cummings presented a timeless vision of the land, emphasizing its raw, inherent beauty. This approach might have appealed to a desire for escapism or a connection to a more elemental, pre-industrial world.
Her paintings often captured the unique atmospheric qualities of the New Zealand environment – the clarity of light, the dramatic landforms, and the lush native bush. While specific titles of her major works are not extensively documented in readily available sources, her oeuvre is defined by this consistent thematic focus. It is this body of work, these characteristic landscapes, that constitutes her primary artistic legacy.
Interestingly, her works found particular favor among Māori living overseas. This suggests that her depictions of an unblemished Aotearoa resonated with a sense of turangawaewae (a place to stand, belonging) or perhaps a nostalgic vision of the land as it once was, or as it existed in ancestral memory, before widespread European modification. For a diaspora, such images could evoke powerful feelings of connection to their homeland.
Life in Parnell and Continued Artistic Production
For a significant portion of her adult life, nearly sixty years, Vera Cummings resided in the Parnell area of Auckland, specifically near Judges Bay. Parnell, one of Auckland's oldest suburbs, is known for its historic charm, leafy streets, and views of the Waitematā Harbour. Living in such an environment would have provided ample inspiration for a landscape artist. Her long tenure in this locale suggests a deep connection to the place, which likely featured, directly or indirectly, in her artistic output.
During these decades, she would have witnessed considerable changes in Auckland and New Zealand society, including the impact of two World Wars and the Great Depression. Yet, her artistic focus on unspoiled landscapes seemed to remain a constant, perhaps as a deliberate counterpoint to the increasing modernization and urbanization around her. She continued to produce her unique scenic paintings, contributing to the visual culture of the nation.
It is also mentioned that her father, Matthew Cummins, was a volunteer firefighter and that the family later settled near the St. John's Red Cross in Hamilton. While these details pertain more to her family background, they paint a picture of a life embedded within community structures. The mention of her father's role and the family's settlement near a significant Hamilton landmark provides context to her upbringing in a developing colonial society.
There is a brief mention in some source material of Vera Cummings potentially being involved in architectural work, including the construction of log cabins in New Zealand, and later, architectural work in Australia. If this refers to the same Vera Cummings, it would add another dimension to her skills and connection to the built environment, perhaps informing her landscape perspectives by understanding structures in contrast to nature. However, her primary recognition remains firmly rooted in her landscape paintings. The information about her living nearly sixty years in Parnell suggests a strong, continuous presence in Auckland, making extensive architectural work in Australia a period that would need further clarification in her biography.
Contemporaries and the New Zealand Art Milieu
Vera Cummings worked during a vibrant period in New Zealand art. While she developed her distinct style, she was part of a broader artistic community. Among her contemporaries was Charles Frederick Goldie (1870–1947), famed for his meticulous portraits of Māori rangatira, whose work, though different in subject, shared a focus on capturing aspects of New Zealand's unique identity. There is a suggestion she may have had contact with David Goldie, possibly a relative or associate of C.F. Goldie, indicating potential connections within Auckland's artistic circles.
Other significant artists of her era included Frances Hodgkins (1869–1947), who, although spending much of her career in Europe and becoming a leading figure in British Modernism, began her artistic journey in New Zealand. Her explorations of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism were a world away from Cummings' more traditional landscapes, yet both were women navigating the art world of their time.
Margaret Stoddart (1865–1934) was another prominent female artist, known for her beautiful floral studies and landscapes, often painted en plein air, reflecting Impressionist influences. Her dedication to capturing the New Zealand flora and landscape offers a point of comparison with Cummings' own focus on the natural world.
The landscape tradition was strong, with artists like Sydney Lough Thompson (1877–1973) bringing Impressionist techniques to bear on New Zealand subjects, particularly coastal scenes. His use of light and color provided a different lens on the local environment compared to Cummings' more descriptive approach.
Figurative painters like Grace Joel (1865–1924) and Mina Arndt (1885-1926) also contributed to the richness of the period, often focusing on portraiture and genre scenes, sometimes with a more intimate, psychological depth. Edith Collier (1885-1964), after studying in Britain, returned to New Zealand and, despite facing provincial conservatism, produced works that showed modernist sensibilities in her depiction of figures and landscapes.
Later in Cummings' life, a new generation of artists began to emerge, who would forge distinctively New Zealand modernism. Figures like Rita Angus (1908–1970), with her crisp, symbolic landscapes and portraits, and Toss Woollaston (1910–1994), with his expressive, earthy depictions of the Nelson and Taranaki regions, started their careers while Cummings was still active. While their styles were markedly different, they all grappled with the question of how to represent New Zealand in art. The work of artists like Alfred Henry O'Keeffe (1858–1941), known for his portraits and sensitive genre scenes, also formed part of the artistic backdrop of Cummings' active years.
This diverse artistic environment, ranging from academic realism to emerging modernism, was the context in which Vera Cummings pursued her particular vision. Her choice to focus on landscapes devoid of modern intrusions set her apart, offering a consistent and perhaps more romantic counter-narrative to the rapid changes occurring in New Zealand society.
Representative Works: A Thematic Understanding
While specific, universally acclaimed "masterpieces" by Vera Cummings are not consistently highlighted in easily accessible art historical records in the same way as some of her more famous contemporaries, her representative works are best understood as the collective body of her landscapes that embody her signature style. These are the paintings that depict the New Zealand bush, mountains, and coastlines, characterized by the notable absence of roads, bridges, and often any overt human presence or modern construction.
A "representative" Vera Cummings painting would likely feature:
A deep engagement with the natural forms of the New Zealand landscape – the unique shapes of native trees like the kauri or rimu, the rugged contours of hills, or the specific quality of light on water.
A composition that emphasizes the grandeur or serenity of nature, often with a perspective that draws the viewer into an seemingly untouched world.
A color palette that, while needing specific examples for full analysis, would likely aim for naturalism, capturing the greens, blues, and earth tones characteristic of the New Zealand environment.
The deliberate exclusion of modern infrastructure, which serves as the defining intellectual and aesthetic hallmark of her recognized style.
Therefore, any of her numerous works fitting this description – a landscape of the New Zealand wilderness, rendered with skill and a clear intent to portray it as unspoiled – could be considered representative of her artistic contribution. The popularity of these works, especially with the Māori diaspora, further underscores their representative nature, as they clearly communicated her distinct vision and resonated with a particular cultural sensibility. Her legacy is thus defined not by a single iconic image, but by the consistent pursuit of this particular thematic and stylistic approach across her career.
Challenges and Legacy
Vera Cummings' career unfolded during a period when female artists, while increasingly visible, still faced challenges in gaining the same level of recognition or institutional support as their male counterparts. Her dedication to her art, despite health issues and the prevailing social norms, is a testament to her commitment.
Her decision to focus on landscapes without modern elements can be seen as a form of subtle commentary, or perhaps a personal preference for a more timeless, idealized vision of nature. In a rapidly developing colonial nation, such images might have served as a reminder of what was being lost or altered, or simply as an affirmation of the enduring power and beauty of the natural world.
Vera Cummings passed away in 1949. Her contribution to New Zealand art lies in her consistent and distinctive portrayal of the nation's landscapes. She offered a particular lens through which to view Aotearoa, one that emphasized its pristine beauty and resonated with a longing for connection to an unblemished natural world. While perhaps not as widely celebrated as some of her more modernist or expatriate contemporaries, her work holds a specific place in the narrative of New Zealand art, reflecting a particular sensibility and a deep affection for the land. Her paintings remain a window into an artist's sustained engagement with the New Zealand environment and her unique way of interpreting its essence for her audience. Her art serves as a quiet but persistent voice celebrating the intrinsic beauty of an Aotearoa seen through a romantic and appreciative gaze.
