Sarah Hillary
New Zealand art gallery conservator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Hillary (born 1956, Auckland) is a New Zealand art gallery conservator and artist.[1][2] She is the daughter of the mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary.[3][4] In 2024 she retired as principal conservator at Auckland Art Gallery.[5]
Sarah Hillary | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 (age 69–70) Auckland |
| Known for | conservation |
| Style | miniatures |
| Father | Edmund Hillary |
| Relatives | Peter Hillary (brother) |
During 1998, there was a robbery at Auckland Art Gallery; Still on Top by James Tissot was stolen and severely damaged. The painting was restored by a team led by Hillary.[6] She also detected a forgery of a Gottfried Lindauer painting.[5]
In 2003, in her late forties, she began creating miniature artworks the size of matchboxes.[7]
In 2013, Hillary treated and conserved objects for her father's exhibition, From the Summit – Hillary's Enduring Legacy at Auckland Museum.[8]
In 2019, another notable work she conserved was Colin McCahon’s Upland Road Chapel windows, which garnered media attraction in New Zealand.[9]
In 2024, Hillary announced her retirement after spending 40 years at the Auckland Art Gallery, over 25 years of which was as principal conservator.[3][10]
Publications
- The Back of the Painting: Secrets and Stories from Art Conservation (2021)[11]