Oil on canvas, a copy of Sydney Lough Thompson’s work. (1877 – 1973)

This beautiful painting depicts the busy port of Lyttelton in 1936, and is a copy of Thompson’s original work commissioned by the Lyttleton Harbour Board. It captures both the beauty of the harbour and the activity of the port’s prosperous shipping trade. The ochre and blues of the Port Hills in the background have come to be accepted as Canterbury landscape colours.

Rangiora artist Ivan Button copied this work with the approval of the Christchurch Art Gallery where the original is located. He greatly admired Sydney Thompson’s work, and particularly the vitality of the subject and the composition and atmosphere created by the artist.

Ivan Button has recently donated this copy to Middleton Grange School, and it is displayed in the Grange Theatre Foyer. Please feel free to come and enjoy this amazing work. We are very grateful to Ivan for giving this to us so that our community can enjoy it.

Mike Vannoort

Principal / Tumuaki