Landscape, Rotorua

Born in Christchurch, the artist had no formal training but was a friend of Alfred Walsh and Sydney Lough Thompson and during World War I while in England had access to the studios of Augustus John and Sir William Orpen among others. in 1931 he was closely associated with and influenced by Ellioth Gruner, the New Zealand-born painter living in Australia. After returning to New Zealand, Dr. Duncan worked in Rotorua as Government Balneologist. He exhibited with the Auckland Society of Arts and in 1934 won the Bledisloe Medal for best landscape painting of the year. His work was included in the Centennial of New Zealand Exhibition 1940.