Kate Sperrey

Kate Sperrey
1887 self portrait
Born
Eleanor Catherine Sperrey

(1862-01-07)7 January 1862
Died23 April 1893(1893-04-23) (aged 31)
Other namesEleanor K. Mair, Kate Mair, E. Kate Sperry, Katherine Sperry
Occupationartist
Years active1885–1893
Known forportraiture
SpouseGilbert Mair (soldier) (m. 1888⁠–⁠1893)
ChildrenJohn Gilbert Mair (5 July 1889 - 1896), Kathleen Airini Vane née Mair (22 Jan 1891 - 9 Feb 1965)

Eleanor Catherine Sperrey (7 January 1862 – 23 April 1893), also known as Kate Sperrey, was a leading artist in New Zealand in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Although she engaged in landscape and genre painting, Sperrey was best known as a portraitist and for her depictions of Māori figures. Sperrey's works are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the Alexander Turnbull Library, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and the Whangārei Art Museum.