The Language of Painting – Claudian Language
One of my ancestors was a painter for his hobby in the early days. The memory of his paintings bought to my mind that there was a deaf painter arrived to New Zealand in the early days.
His name is Alfred Sharpe (Often without ‘e’) as ‘Alf Sharp’ in New South Wales, Australia. See one of his earliest paintings – Taupiri township outside Ngaruawahia, near Hamilton and our home in Eureka. A View of Taupiri village…
Who was he? Where did he come from? What was language as a deaf (and mute) in th early days?
Alfred Sharpe born in Clifton Park, near Liverpool, UK around 1830s and he studied at Birkenhead School of Arts between 1854-1857. Alfred was a architect, an artist, a draftsman and a landscape designer . He came to Auckland, New Zealand around 1859 and worked as a clerk in the Customs Department in 1864. Alfred married Jane ‘Jeffaries’ in Auckland but sadly she died in 1888 in Auckland Refuge. Alfred joined to his brother – William Bethal Sharp in NSW, Australia from 1887 until his death. Alfred was deaf and he used sign manual system. His brother – William was a politician and a business person in NSW, Australia. Alfred had got another name – ‘Dummy Sharpe’ during his life in Australia.
Alfred Sharpe – Portrait
Alfred used his painting as watercolours which know ‘The Claudian Language’. So what is the Claudian Landscape?
Claude Lorrain (Gelee) 1600-1682, Claude was a painter and he used to build consist of the lone tree, building, the tower, the distant mountain in the foreground or in the background. Then he aimed to bring together in a geometric assembly in new and different ways, these compositional elements created the foundation of landscape art for eighteenth century Great Britain. See one of the paintings here.
Landscape near Tivoli (Ramsay Richard Reinagle)
Did you know who designed King Edward Park in Newcastle, NSW?
It was Alfred Sharpe who he designed many parks, the public access including the friendly designed pathway for all public, and the Reserve from 1890. He had a strong view over the impact of colonisation on the national environment here in New Zealand and in Australia. He wrote many letters to the editors for the public readers about the impact of the environment disaster and how to preserved or replaced many trees, plants and public spaces for all the people and children. Alfred also write poetry and articles for the newspapers both in New Zealand and in Australia until his death. He was awarded a silver medal for landscapes in New Zealand in 1889 but there was no proof if he got the medal or not.
Many of his paintings can be found at the museums, the galleries including the National Art Gallery and the Hocken Library in NZ and in the Mitchell Library in Australia.
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