However, Lake Wanaka, a watercolour piece by the famous New Zealand artist painted in 1939, was still in transit as the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society held its 100th annual meeting yesterday.
It was bought by the society for $150,000 at an International Arts Centre auction early last month, with funding from the I.M. Richdale Trust.
This was at least $20,000 more than auction house’s prediction of a sale price of between $90,000 and $130,000.
Society president Ross Currie said the sale price was record-setting.
People loved Rita Angus’ work, so he believed it would be a popular piece, he said.
"We were over the moon to get it."
He understood the painting had made it as far as Christchurch, and it would probably arrive tomorrow.
Gallery director Cam McCracken congratulated the society on its "incredibly generous" donation, saying it was a fit addition to the gallery’s collection, which included other works by Rita Angus.
It was a "very rare" occasion when her work came up for sale, so acquiring the painting was a stroke of good fortune, he said.
"It’s a gorgeous work."
