The tormentors

Petrus van der Velden, also referred to as Paulus van der Velden, was a Dutch artist renowned for his atmospheric and expressive artworks. While his artistic journey began in the Netherlands, he is especially remembered for spending a significant portion of his later life in New Zealand, where his unique style made a notable impression on the local art community.

Born in Rotterdam to Jacoba van Essel and Joannes van der Velden, who worked as a warehouse manager, van der Velden displayed artistic talent at a young age. Around the age of 13, he commenced formal drawing lessons. His dedication to art led him to become an apprentice lithographer, a craft that played a key role in the early years of his career.

In 1858, van der Velden made an important move by founding a lithographic printing company in Rotterdam alongside his business associate, J. G. Zijderman. This enterprise demonstrated his engagement with both the creative and technical elements of printmaking, laying the groundwork for his subsequent accomplishments in the visual arts.

During the later stages of his career, van der Velden settled in New Zealand, where he gained recognition for his compelling landscape and genre paintings, especially his powerful portrayals of the Otira Gorge. His legacy persists through his significant contributions to the art worlds of both the Netherlands and New Zealand, affirming his role as a major artist of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.