GIFFORD, EDWARD AUGUSTUS (1819-94) was born in London, the son of Edward Gifford, architect, of the firm of Ashpitel, in whose office he also trained. He then devoted himself to the study of art in the Royal Academy schools, where he won the gold medal in his final year. In 1854 he went abroad. His interest was in genre, portrait studies and landscape. He had pictures hung in the Royal Academy in 1842, 1845, 1857, 1863, 1867 and 1870. His portrait of Bishop Selwyn is hung at Lichfield and that of Admiral Fairfax Moresby is reproduced as the frontispiece of Two Admirals. In 1877 Gifford came to New Zealand, residing first in Oamaru, where his brother was vicar. He lived successively at Auckland and Napier, and eventually returned to Oamaru, where he died on 8 Nov 1894. He painted many New Zealand landscapes, especially in Otago, South Canterbury and Auckland, exhibiting throughout a poetic quality in choice of subject and method of treatment. His output was hung regularly in the exhibitions of New Zealand. Several public collections contain specimens and the Auckland art gallery contains a canvas of the Auckland water front in 1887.

Family information; the Librarian, Royal Academy; Otago Daily Times, 12 Nov 1894.

Reference: Volume 1, page 163

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