Sir Peter Siddell

As one of New Zealand’s most prominent realist painters, Sir Peter Siddell was perhaps best-known for his unpopulated cityscapes which appear familiar, yet are not identifiable. He drew together different elements from a variety of sources to create timeless images of neighbourhoods that look uninhabited despite there being evidence of earlier human presence. These cities are clean, tidy, carless and unpeopled. The houses’ interiors, seen through clean windows, are empty. The presence of people is implied by such devices as a door left open, or a view that is placed immediately in front of the viewer. It is as if all the inhabitants of that city or neighbourhood have fled, leaving their buildings in perfect condition. 

While his works appear to be records of actual places, most of Siddell’s paintings have a subjective component. Memory association and invention play roles in those compositions.

In her 1994 essay published in From the Isthmus, Julie Roberts described Siddell’s work as such:

“The predominance of the urban image in his oeuvre sets Siddell apart from many of his contemporaries. The landscape has tended to dominate New Zealand painting and although the unique topography of this country is an essential component of his work, Siddell subordinates the landscape to the city. Or more correctly perhaps, he consistently juxtaposes the city with the land. Nature and human habitation co-exist.’