VAN DER VELDEN, PETRUS (1834-1913) was born at Rotterdam, Holland, and apprenticed to a firm of lithographers. He disliked stone work, and on being discharged at the age of about 30 years he entered on the study of painting, spending some years in Berlin and Paris. His earliest work was done amongst fishermen of Marken, and he quickly gained recognition. In 1872 his picture Double Blank was purchased by the National Museum in Amsterdam. In 1890, sponsored by Gerrit Van Asch (q.v.) he came to New Zealand, and spent many years in Christchurch, where he married. He taught many of the art students of the time, and painted a large number of pictures, among the most famous of which is the Dutch Funeral. His work is characterised by thoroughness, painted in low tone, and each one true to the man himself. On leaving Christchurch, Van der Velden paid a visit of a few years to Sydney, Wellington and Auckland (where he died on 11 Nov 1913). Examples of his art are in most of the public galleries of New Zealand.

John Barr, Art: Art in N.Z., Sep 1930 (p); Lyttelton Times, 13 Nov 1913; The Press, 6 Feb 1914.

Reference: Volume 2, page 211

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