Untitled

Correspondence D. M. Wylie, Librarian, Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand, to B. de Lange, 07.09.1983, "The painting came to the University in 1961 as part of a gift of New Zealand watercolours from the late Mr & Mrs T D H Hall."

Correspondence Sophie Thorn, Collection Officer, Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington, to B. de Lange, 01.05.2019, “The work in your picture is one which was/is held in the VUW Art Collection. It is unfortunately missing and was last sighted in the mid ‘90s. I am looking to track down the work…”

The work is listed in a collection catalogue from 1984, Victoria University of Wellington: Catalogue of the Art Collection, pg 12, as part of The Hall Collection [see Related images]. It is catalogued as:

213
SCALES Flora, 1888-
Sand Dunes
watercolour on paper, 23 x 23

A hand-written card included in a file reference Alexander Turnbull Library File Prints, Drawings, Paintings and Prints Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, notes that this work was held "In Victoria University Library" [see Related images 5].

The cool, pearly colour used in this painting suggests the influence of Art Nouveau. Scales would have been exposed to this movement while at art school in London and through the pages of The Studio magazine. She would also have seen references to the style in New Zealand in the work of Edward Friström [1864-1950], D.K. Richmond [1861-1935], Margaret Stoddart [1865-1934] and the young John Weeks [1886-1965].