Abstract
Patricia Bosshard was a highly influential figure in the New Zealand art world. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight the work of an important art dealer in New Zealand, focusing particularly on her contribution to the art in Akaroa and Dunedin. In her sixteen years as a prominent art dealer, Bosshard worked determinedly and tirelessly on behalf of the modernist New Zealand artists she represented. These included Ralph Hotere, Milan Mrkusich, Jeffrey Harris and Joanna Paul. The development of modern New Zealand art in the late twentieth century provided for a new opportunity within the art market, resulting in the creation of the contemporary New Zealand art dealer. It was in this climate that Bosshard’s relationships and interactions with artists, collectors and clients, as well as the wider arts community, demonstrate a unique perspective of the role of the art dealer in New Zealand’s art history.