Madeline Best

Madeline Best (4 August 1854 – 28 October 1944) was a New Zealand artist, who taught drawing, oil painting, watercolours and lustre painting. She was exhibited at the Auckland Society of Arts, the Fine Arts Association, Wellington and New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts.

Biography Madeline Best was born to Hannah and William Best in Tawa on 4 August 1854, and was the younger sister to Elsdon Best. She moved with her family from Tawa to Wellington in 1861, when her father, Willam Best, became chief clerk to the Treasury.

Works Best was exhibited at the Auckland Society of Arts, the Fine Arts Association, Wellington (1883–44)

Her exhibition in 1888 at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, received the following note "Miss Madeline Best sends five exhibits of considerable merit; "Daffodils" (No. 146) and "Japanese Lilies on Screen" (No. 200) are the best. There is a bold expression in all her works. The colouring is very effective. We should like to see her attempt more ambitious works next season."

Platts reports that there is a record from her mother's writings that on 12 August 1903 "she was 'out sketching the Ōtaki Church' (Rangiatea) and that she had 'taken two views' of the Simcox's homestead "Forest Lakes" at Ōtaki."

Her works are represented in the Turnbull Library.