Jonathan White

Jonathan Robert White (12 September 1938 – 17 July 2021) was a New Zealand landscape artist. Largely self-taught, his work is recognised both in New Zealand and internationally, and is held in many public and private collections across the world. White painted professionally for over 50 years and held many solo and joint exhibitions; he died two weeks before his final exhibition was held in Invercargill. White resided in Whakatāne, in the North Island of New Zealand. He was educated at King's College, Auckland, in the 1950s, and in 1982 received an honours tie from the school for distinguishing himself in the field of art. In 1968 and 1970, he received merit prizes in the annual Kelliher Art Prize competition, and in 1971 placed second in the competition.

White was interested in botany, ornithology and tramping, and his paintings reflect his personal love of remote places, wilderness areas and New Zealand's landscape. He had an interest in conservation work and became an honorary ranger for Fiordland and Te Urewera National Parks. He was also a life member of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand, the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the QEII National Trust.

During the summer season of 1989 to 1990, White visited Antarctica with the New Zealand Antarctic Research Programme, to execute a series of sketches and paintings of the historic buildings and the McMurdo Dry Valleys. White's intention was to help create a collective body of work that recorded the huts and environment for historical purposes. A number of paintings were produced following this trip, including a painting of Scott Base, and paintings of the scenery of Antarctica. Exhibitions of White's Antarctic work were consecutively held in Tauranga, Whakatāne, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, and helped raised funds for the Antarctic Heritage Trust. The latter was described by New Zealand writer Tim Jones as a "collection of extravagantly rich landscape paintings of remote parts of New Zealand". His works ranged in price from NZ$8,950 to NZ$60,000 at the event. He said to the Rotorua Daily Post at the time that "I don't seek publicity, however I am both flattered and honoured to be recognised."

White died at his home in Whakatāne on 17 July 2021, just two weeks before his final exhibition opened in Invercargill. Wayne Marriott, the city council manager of museum and heritage services, noted that White's death was a huge loss, and said, "We've lost two of the masters this year" (the other being Peter Beadle).