PROVENANCE
An Auckland Estate Collection

In Doubt, an Arawa Chieftainess is an exquisite portrait of Maramena Wiari, one of Charles Goldie's lesser-known sitters. Herein, Maramena has been depicted in a frontal pose, engaging with the viewer as she fixes her gaze just beyond us in an expression of serene clarity. Unlike many of Goldie's portraits where he chose to portray his subjects deep in melancholic meditation, or with eyes sorrowfully downcast, there is a strength to Maramena, one which affirms her mana and allows us to understand something of her spirit

The reference to Doubt in the title echoes another portrait of Maramena which Goldie accomplished around the same time, entitled Distrust, exhibited in Canterbury in 1917. Considering these two works collectively, it becomes clear that Goldie chose to intentionally depict Maramena in a position of tension between two cultures - a concern of particular resonance when considering the early 20th century context of Maori culture This portrait can therefore be considered something of a visual metaphor for the territory being navigated by Maori at the time: though Maramena has been portrayed in European attire and with a pipe, her gaze belies reflection on the changing times, and perhaps her own life, living as she did, in the world of both Pakeha and Maori. Here, Maramena is pictured here against the overt symbolism of a woven flax background

In executing this picture, Goldie struck a balance between the realisation of strikingly beautiful detail (consider the detail of Maramena's moko, and the deeply-etched lines in her face) and a certain softness which communicates a cognisant soulfulness on her part. There is a spirit of vitality and vivacity to this work which makes it truly special, and distinguishes it as a work of ancestral and spiritual importance; a precious link to our past