19th Century Australian Watercolours, drawings & pastels
06 Apr 2005
AGNSW


This exhibition provides an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the work of Australian artists from the nineteenth century. Familiar works by John Glover, Conrad Martens, Arthur Streeton and Julian Ashton will be exhibited alongside the less well-known and recently acquired watercolours by Louis Buvelot and Eugene von Guerard.

This wonderful selection of some 80 watercolours, drawings and pastels enlarges our appreciation of the all important collection of Australian art at the Gallery and our perspective on 19th century Australian art as a whole.

The flavour of nineteenth century Australian life is in each of the exhibited works. Scenes of kangaroo hunting, whaling, grape-picking and even of a cook going about his business at one of the artists' camps on Sydney Harbour in the late 1880s! There is humour, fine draughtsmanship and considerable acuity of observation.

Landscape predominates, although a wonderful recent purchase of a rare sheet of head studies of Vincent van Gogh, by John Russell, highlights the importance of portraiture through the nineteenth century. Russell's studies of van Gogh accompany memorable portraits by Tom Roberts, Phil May, George Coates, Abbey Altson, BE Minns, Rupert Bunny, Edith Cusack and the young George Lambert.

This exhibition is the fourth in a series concentrating on the collection of Australian works on paper undertaken in the last ten years. It will be accompanied by a book with full-page colour plates of all works selected, extensive catalogue entries and informative commentaries. Both exhibition and catalogue are by Hendrik Kolenberg, senior curator of Australian prints, drawings and watercolours, Anne Ryan, assistant curator and volunteer, Patricia James.


On view

6 April until 19 June 2005
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney


Telephone

(02) 9225 1744 or recorded information (02) 9225 1790
National Toll Free 1800 679 278
Website www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au


Hours

10am to 5pm, 7 days a week
Art After Hours Wednesday nights until 9pm.
Art After Hours program available here


Admission

Free of Charge 






IMAGE CREDIT: Julian Ashton A solitary ramble Collection Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney, Australia. © the artist's estate

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone 02 9225 1744 or Toll Free 1800 679 278  Website www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au >>





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