Sarah Greenwood (artist)

Sarah Greenwood
Greenwood, c. 1880
Born	Sarah Field c. 1809 Lambeth, Surrey, England
Died	13 December 1889 (aged 80) Motueka, New Zealand
Spouse	John Danforth Greenwood ​ ​ (m. 1831)​
Children	13
Relatives	Ellen Greenwood (daughter) Jane Stowe (daughter) Elizabeth Greenwood (granddaughter) John D. H. Greenwood (grandson) Averil Lysaght (great-granddaughter) Leonard Greenwood (grandson) Mary Watt (great-granddaughter)

Sarah Greenwood (née Field; c. 1809 – 13 December 1889) was a New Zealand artist, letter-writer and teacher. Her letters and drawings of her experiences depict pioneer life in Nelson, New Zealand, where she lived for 46 years.

Biography

Greenwood's grave at Pioneer Park, Motueka

Greenwood was born in Lambeth, Surrey, England, in about 1809; she was the daughter of Mary Ann Jones and John Field.^[1] Her father was a wax chandler.^[2]

Greenwood's early education included the study of drawing, music, and languages, and she was later described by her friend Mary Hobhouse as "a clever active well educated woman."^[2] It is not known from where or whom she received her training in art. Her work and technique suggests that she did not draw from life and may have been taught by a lithographer.^[3]

She married John Danforth Greenwood (1803–1890), a physician and educationist originally from Sussex, in 1831.^[3] They had thirteen children, including Ellen Greenwood and Jane Greenwood.^[4][5] The family lived in London, England, and Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, France, before emigrating to New Zealand in 1843.^[1] They settled in Motueka and built their house called "Woodlands."

Greenwood's husband had worked as ships surgeon superintendent on the Phoebe en route to New Zealand in exchange for free passage for the Greenwood family.^[2] A son, Albert, was born during the voyage. Four of the Greenwood's daughters were born after their arrival in New Zealand.^[2] Greenwood's midwife was "delighted" to be paid for her attendance to a birth in second hand clothing, demonstrating the realities of clothing supplies in the British colonies.^[6]

In the 1850s, Greenwood became involved in political and academic interests in Nelson and Wellington. Her daughter, Frances Mary Greenwood, married William Pharazyn (1842–1872) the son of politician Charles Johnson Pharazyn.^[7][8]

Greenwood became an artist,^[9] known for landscapes and portraits.^[2] She also ran a successful school on Bridge Street between 1865 and 1868 with six of her daughters.

Greenwood retired to Motueka in 1877 and lived with her son Fred on the Grange.^[10] She died in Motueka on 13 December 1889, aged 80.^[11] Her husband died six months later.^[10]

Legacy

Her descendants include Elizabeth Greenwood, Averil Lysaght and Muriel Mary Lysaght.^{[12][13][14][15]}

• 
  Greenwood, Sarah. Portrait of John Danforth Greenwood
• 
  Greenwood, Sarah. Portrait of Jane Greenwood

References

1. Greenwood, Sarah Encyclopedia.com.
2. Drysdale, Helena (2007). Strangerland: A Family at War. Picador. pp. 158–160. ISBN 978-0-330-41170-7.
3. Paul, Janet. "Sarah Greenwood". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
4. Stace, Hilary. "Ellen Sarah Greenwood". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
5. "Stowe, (Mrs) Jane". NZETC. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
6. Lawrence, Dianne (1 February 2017). Genteel women: Empire and domestic material culture, 1840–1910. Manchester University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-5261-1824-0.
7. "Pharazyn, Frances Mary, 1847–1927". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
8. "Pharazyn, William, 1842–1872". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
9. Kirker, Anne (1993). New Zealand Women Artists: A Survey of 150 Years. Craftsman House. p. 19. ISBN 978-976-8097-30-9.
10. Stephens, Joy (8 April 2020). "Sarah and John Danforth Greenwood". The Prow. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
11. Taranaki Herald 17 December 1889. p. 2
12. Greenwood letters from 1842 - 1870 Nelson Provincial Museum.
13. Lysaght, Emily Muriel, 1875-1971. National Library of New Zealand.
14. Watt, Muriel Mary, 1917-2005. National Library of New Zealand.
15. Lysaght, Averil Margaret Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand.

External links

• Watercolour paintings by Sarah Greenwood at the Nelson Provincial Museum.