The article discusses the formation of the Canterbury Society of Arts (CSA) and its role in shaping the cultural, intellectual, and social life of Canterbury, New Zealand in the late 19th century. It describes the influence of English art on New Zealand art societies, the relation of the CSA to the Royal Academy in London, England, and the influence of Enlightenment ideals concerning liberalism and individualism on the cultivation of fine art in Canterbury. Other subjects under discussion include the relation between New Zealand art and British nationalism, the influence of the CSA on forming a New Zealand identity, and the role of the CSA in forming the Canterbury College School of Art.