Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 6 works by Kennett Watkins in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Kennett Watkins left, the most famous is Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River (1881), in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. Close behind it come Arrival of Captain Cook; An incident in the Bay of Islands, 29 November 1769 (1890) and The Haunt of the Moa, a scene in Puriri Forest (1885). Our catalog holds 6 works by Kennett Watkins; the gallery has kept the 6 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River is an oil on canvas painted by Kennett Watkins. Created about 1881, the work originates from a period when Watkins was establishing himself as a significant figure in the New Zealand art scene. The artist, born in Ooty, India, in 1847, brought a diverse international perspective to his depictions of the local landscape following studies in Switzerland and France.
In this 1890 oil on cardboard, we find ourselves observing a quiet, heavy moment of contact within the Bay of Islands. The scene captures the encounter between Captain Cook’s crew and the Māori people on the 29th of November, 1769. The composition draws the eye toward a central exchange, where an indigenous man and a European officer meet amidst a coastal landscape. There is a palpable tension in the air,…
A phantom canoe was sighted on Lake Tarawera just days before the eruption of Mount Tarawera in June 1886. The Māori guides and tourists who witnessed it told of a waka ‘being vigorously paddled’ towards the mountain. Hailed by the guides, the crew gave no response and then vanished. The apparition was seen as a sign of imminent death and disaster.Kennett Watkins’s interpretation, two years after the event, dramatically enriches…
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Kennett Watkins | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki |
Auckland | 5 | Arrival of Captain Cook; An incident in the Bay of Islands, 29 November 1769, The Haunt of the Moa, a scene in Puriri Forest, Departure of the six canoes from Raratonga for New Zealand |
 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |
Wellington | 1 | Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River is an oil on canvas painted by Kennett Watkins. Created about 1881, the work originates from a period when Watkins was establishing himself as a significant figure in the New Zealand art scene. The artist, born in Ooty, India, in 1847, brought a diverse international perspective to his depictions of the local landscape following studies in Switzerland and France.
In this 1890 oil on cardboard, we find ourselves observing a quiet, heavy moment of contact within the Bay of Islands. The scene captures the encounter between Captain Cook’s crew and the Māori people on the 29th of November, 1769. The composition draws the eye toward a central exchange, where an indigenous man and a European officer meet amidst a coastal landscape. There is a palpable tension in the air,…
Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River (1881), Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. Arrival of Captain Cook; An incident in the Bay of Islands, 29 November 1769 (1890) and The Haunt of the Moa, a scene in Puriri Forest (1885) come next.
34 years old: Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River dates from 1881, and Kennett Watkins was born in 1847.
Our catalog holds 6 works by Kennett Watkins, dated from 1881 to 1912.
Mostly in Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (Auckland) and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1880s: 3 of the 6 works on this page were made then, Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River among them.
On this page, the earliest is Early Spring; or, A Narrow of the Waikato River (1881) and the latest The Legend of the Voyage to New Zealand (1912).
Oil On Canvas, for 2 of the 6 works on this page.
Arrival of Captain Cook; An incident in the Bay of Islands, 29 November 1769, The Haunt of the Moa, a scene in Puriri Forest and Departure of the six canoes from Raratonga for New Zealand: the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland holds 5 of the works on this page.
