Image 1 of 3
Image 2 of 3
Image 3 of 3
Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Ernest Williams Christmas studied art in Paris before settling in England, where he became a member of the Royal Academy. Drawn to new landscapes, he traveled widely—painting the mountains and lakes of Argentina and Chile, and later living in San Francisco in 1900 and again in 1915.
Between those years, Christmas resided in New Zealand, exhibiting prominently with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts in 1906. After arriving in Hawai‘i, Paradise of the Pacific magazine featured his oil and watercolor landscapes, including views of Haleakalā and scenes across O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island.
His dream of visiting the wider South Pacific, Australia, and Japan went unrealized when he passed away in Honolulu in 1916, just two years after his arrival. Though few of his works remain in Hawai‘i, his paintings can be found in major New Zealand collections today.
