- A VISUAL TIMELINE

Open Country cottage, Murrumbeena, c1917 EDUCATION GUIDE

Merric Boyd’s eight fire box kiln at Open Country, Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd Murrumbeena, c1917 is born at Murrumbeena, a The ‘brown room’ at Open Country cottage Following the death of his wife 1917-19 with The Prodigal Son by Emma Minnie Arthur’s grandfa- suburb of , to Mer- Arthur’s father Merric Boyd- the Merric Boyd. ric and (ceramicist father of Australian studio pot- ther, , moves and painter respectively). His tery- experiments with high heat to Rosebud on the Mornington grandparents Arthur Merric in a gas kiln. There is a fire at the Arthur leaves Murrumbeena Peninsula. Arthur lives with him and Emma Minnie are also kiln, the pottery, studio kiln and state school, where he won for three years, land- artists. Arthur grows up at recipes for glazes are destroyed. the First Award for Art for scapes and family portraits with Open Country in an environ- Merric suffers a breakdown and three years in a row. He his grandfather’s encourage- Studio at Open Country designed by ment where everyone is his epilepsy worsens. works in his uncle’s paint ment. He has a boat for explor- Arthur’s grandfather commissions encouraged to paint, draw factory, and his wages are ing the bay and the creeks. He cousin, architect Robin Boyd, to or model in clay. The Brown “My mother ...was the backbone of used to support the family. makes a cart for carrying all his design a studio at Open Country Room is the focus of family our family. Without her, our life would He paints portraits of his painting equipment behind him for Arthur to live and work in. life. have fallen to pieces” Arthur Boyd siblings and self portraits. on a bike. Arthur, together with his brothers Guy and David, builds the studio.

24 JULY 1920 1926 1934 1936 1938

Merric Boyd Figure of Arthur Boyd age House at Murrumbeena 1934 Oil on board three years 1923 Storm Sky 1933 Ceramic Oil on board First oil painting by Arthur Boyd Pastoral landscape with fence c1936 Self portrait 1935 Oil on canvas Oil on canvas Page 1 Arthur Boyd’s studio at Open Country, The Grange Mural - detail c1945: from left, Matcham Skipper, Myra Yvonne Lennie and Arthur Boyd in 1941 Skipper, , Yvonne Lennie, Arthur Family and friends at Open Country, c1951 Boyd, David Boyd, photo Albert Tucker Arthur’s uncle, the writer l to r back; Hatton Beck, Merric Boyd, David AMB Pottery Muurumbeena. John Percival top Martin Boyd, returns from Boyd, ; centre Yvonne and son Jamie Boyd, LHS, Neil Douglas top RHS. Arthur Boyd decorating unidentified, , Mary Boyd, Lucy tea pot set lower LHS Europe. He commissions Boyd(with child), ; front: Joy Hester, On 6 March 1945 Arthur Arthur Boyd, Doris Boyd, source unknown. Arthur endures army service. Arthur to paint the Grange and Yvonne are married. Mural,incorporating the He meets painter Yvonne Len- Arthur paints portraits of nie, his future wife, and other biblical stories of Susannah Arthur and his family visit Horsham friends and family. The and the Elders, The Prodigal artists, including , Arthur lives at Murrumbeena Brown Room is a meeting and the . National gallery John Perceval, Joy Hester and with Yvonne from 1944. He Son and the Assumption, of purchases Irrigation Lake, place for artists, poets and at the old family home at Albert Tucker. He exhibits with establishes the AMB pottery with philosophers. Arthur meets Wimmera. Arthur returns to Open the Contemporary Art Society in John Perceval, Neil Douglas and Harkaway, outside Mel- Country and works on large painted European refugees such as bourne. Melbourne. others. artist . tiles.

1941-44 1944 1945-6 1948-9 1950

Above Still life with piano 1940 Figure study incomplete Prodigal son? 1948 Oil Oil Jug with church and country road c1940 Ceramic Right Portrait of Yvonne Boyd 1945 Plate, Angel and ramox 1948 Oil on canvas Ceramic Page 2 Photo left Arthur Boyd in his studio in , 1962, photo: Alex Poignant,

Arthur’s work includes theatre design, and ceram- ics. He takes his first and only Aboriginal home 1950s flight to with Sidney Nolan and in 1966 for a major Picasso show. Open Arthur receives immediate Country is sold and critical acclaim with his first Photo, Arthur Boyd painting at his easel, c1970 Photo: Arthur Boyd working on maquette Festival retrospective of Boyd’s for Olympic sculpture, 1955 solo exhibition in London work held. The Boyds travel to of mostly Half-caste Bride Europe, visiting Assisi, leading In , Arthur spends time at his Arthur continues ceramic pro- paintings in August 1960. to the St Francis series. house in Suffolk painting landscapes. duction and painting, including He continues work on the A print retrospective at Maltzan Gal- major ceramic commission for Bride paintings and prints. Arthur signed a petition protest- lery is held in London. Lysistrata col- Photo: Arthur Boyd with Bridegroom and Melbourne Olympics in 1956. He designs sets and cos- Gargoyles, 1958 ing about ’s involve- laboration is commenced with Peter Represents Australia with Sir tumes for ’s ment in the Vietnam War- his Porter in 1970. He returns to Aus- at the 1958 ballet Electra. Retrospective son Jamie is of an age for serv- tralia, travelling in Victoria, NSW and Venice Biennale. The Antipode- exhibition held at London’s Arthur travels to the Central ice. He begins the Nebuchadn- . He reviews the collection ans Exhibition is launched and . Mother Australia, where he experi- ezzar paintings, attributing the of drawings made by his father in the Merric Boyd dies. In November Doris Boyd dies in 1960. ences Aborigines for the first series to anti-war protests. last years of his life and saved from 1959 he travels with his family Arthur joins the Campaign time. He is shocked by their Franz Phillips’ Arthur Boyd Open Country. He produces The Pot- to England, supported by a sti- for Nuclear Disarmament living conditions. monograph is published. ter series in homage to his parents. pend from Australian Galleries. protest.

1951 1955-59 1960-62 1963 to 1967 1968-70

Potter throwing a black figure 1968-9 Etching Ceramic painting, Draft of fishes 1950-52 Ceramic

Lovers on fire in boat with kite 1965 Olympic sculpture completed 1956 Nebuchadnezzar with blue flowers and white dog Oil on canvas Ceramic c1969 Oil on canvas Page 3 Riversdale, mid 1976c

In England Arthur continues work Homestead circa 1970 inspired by Shoalhaven landscape, including paintings questioning his Arthur returns to Arthur Boyd in his studio at Riversdale, in the in front calling as an artist. Major exhibition at early 1972 and paints plein of a painting of Arthur’s Hill. Fischer Fine Art, London is held. Arthur leaves England to take air using landscape, figures He buys Riversdale on the banks of up a Creative Arts Fellowship in landscape and the col- the Shoalhaven near Bundanon and Inspired by the election of , Arthur presents a at ANU in October. He looks ours and high key tones of adds to the buildings to create a home major gift of paintings, ceramics, prints and drawings to the at properties around Can- the Shoalhaven. He returns and studio. National Gallery of Australia. He continues Shoalhaven artworks berra and visits Bundanon in to England and decides to He returns to Australia in October and collaborates with poet Peter Porter on The Lady and the late 1971 for two weeks as establish an Australian base 1974; lives at Eearie Park while work Unicorn, their second joint work. Porter’s visit to Riversdale also the guest of owners Frank on the . at Riversdale is completed. He sees results in a third collaboration, Narcissus. Returning to England McDonald and Sandra and He asks Frank McDonald to the Shoalhaven River in flood for the he has a major exhibition at Fischer Fine Art, London. He begins Tony McGrath. Bundanon has look out for properties in the first time, which delays the move into the Narcissus series in 1977. a profound effect on Arthur. vicinity of Bundanon. Riversdale until May 1975.

1971 1972 1973-4 1975-77

Suffolk landscape 1972 Oil

Waterfall and rock face at Shoal- haven Valley 1975 The Lady and the Unicorn - Watercolour and gouache on paper The Unicorn and the Ark 1973-4 Etching and aquatint Reflected kangaroo 1976c Oil on canvas Landscape with white figure 1972 Oil on canvas Page4 Arthur painting in the Shoalhaven bush c1980s Bundanon Homestead, c1985

Shoalhaven Spring Festival 1982

Arthur returns to Australia and Bundanon in February. He He returns to England. The Shoal- paints a series of large, iconic haven works are shown at Austral- Arthur returns to England in Shoalhaven images based ian Galleries in Melbourne and early 1982. He makes the fam- Arthur Boyd building his studio at Bundanon, on the river and bush around Holdsworth Gallery in . c1981 ily house in Paretaio,Tuscany, Bundanon. He is commissioned available to the Australia Council to design the tapestry for Great Seven Persistent Images exhibition Bundanon Homestead, c1979 for artists travelling overseas. Hall of New Parliament House. shows at Australian National Gal- Sandra McGrath’s The Artist and Arthur opposes sand min- He creates 16 canvases for the lery, drawn from the 1975 Arthur the River published. Bundanon Arthur and Yvonne Boyd ing on the Shoalhaven River. foyer of Victorian Arts Centre. Boyd gift. It tours nationally through puchase Bundanon from He starts to consider giving is open to the public for the first to 1986. The film Arthur Boyd in time in September 1982 as Sandra and Tony McGrath Bundanon away to the people He is made Honorary Doctor the Landscape is made for London part of the Shoalhaven Spring and Frank McDonald in the of Australia. Arthur builds his of Letters, University of Mel- Weekend Television. Festival. summer of 1979. studio at Bundanon. bourne.

1982-83 1978-9 1980-1 1984 1985

Shoalhaven landscape c1979 Oil on canvas,

Right Crucifixion and rose 1979-80 Untitled (Shoalhaven landscape) c1978 Oil on canvas Curved body, Skull and Black Creek 1983 Ink drawing on paper Hanging rocks and bathers 1985 Oil on canvas Page5 Arthur and Yvonne Boyd on the balcony of Bundanon Homestead photo: Greg Weight, 1993 Arthur and Yvonne Boyd in the kitchen at Bundanon. ’s The Art of Arthur photo: Greg Weight, 1993 Boyd is published. Arthur represents Australia at the Arthur Boyd and Prime Minister Paul Keating at Bundanon At the memorial service for Sir Sidney 43rd Venice Biennale in 1988 Portrait of Arthur Boyd with eight major works. He is Nolan on 28 January 1993, Prime Minister photo: Greg Weight, 1993 commissioned to paint Earth Paul Keating announced the Australian On 26 January 1995 Prime Minister Paul Keating and Fire for the cover of TIME Government’s acceptance of Arthur and announces Arthur Boyd as Yvonne Boyd’s gift of Bundanon and the for his contribution to and the gen- Magazine 28 November 1988 Bundanon’s artist in residence pro- intention to establish the Bundanon Trust. erosity of his many gifts to the Australian people. issue. He paints The Austral- gram is advertised nationally. Janet Trustees are established by the Australian Testament of a Painter is filmed. The Boyds return ian Scapegoat. The Boyd’s McKenzie’s Arthur Boyd at Bundanon Govenrment to oversee the operation of to Australia by container ship in May and Arthur begin to discuss the gifting of published. Arthur Boyd Retrospective Bundanon Trust. Arthur Boyd Retrospective receives his award in person from the Prime Min- Bundanon with Federal Arts exhibition tours nationally. Minister Clyde Holding. held at AGNSW. ister at Bundanon in August.

1986-90 1993 1994 1995

Nebuchadnezzar blind on a starry night Sangkuriang prints - Volcano 1993 1992-3, Collagraph Collagraph

Night of the piranhas 1995 Oil on canvas Peter’s fish and crucifixion 1993 Oil on canvas Page 6 The Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre Riversdale c1998 Construction of Artist in residence complex, Bundanon. with Arthur and Yvonne Boyd at Bundanon. Late February, Arthur arrives at Bun- Barn Studio and Study Centre photo: Greg Weight, 1993 danon. Recent paintings, sculpture and Arthur returns to Australia intending to attend etchings held at Australian Galleries, the opening of the Boyd Education Centre. Sydney, during June and July. Arthur Upon arrival in Sydney, Arthur is admitted to Arthur Boyd painting in his studio at Bundanon 1993 Boyd: Family and Friends, from the Bun- In January, Arthur is named Australia photo: David Chalker hospital and suffers a cardiac arrest. Arthur danon Collection, tours nationally from Post’s 1999 Australian Legend and is rep- partly recovers and the Boyds go on to Mel- October 1997 to October 1998. Con- resented on a stamp set. In February the bourne . Arthur suffers another heart attack struction of the Boyd Education Centre Artist in Residence Complex at Bundanon Late February, Arthur returns to and passes away on 24 April 1999, aged 78. commences at Riversdale. The building is opened by Arthur Boyd. The Boyds England; Arthur Boyd: Sixty years A memorial service is held at the National of the Artist in Residence Complex at leave Bundanon, Arthur for the last time, of sleepless nights tours. Gallery of Australia in Canberra on 27 May Bundanon commences. to return to England. 1999.

1996 1997 1998 1999

The journey 1996 Etching REFERENCES: Timeline of Arthur Boyd and Bundanon Trust by David Chalker Boyd Collection and Bundanon Trust archives Arthur Boyd- A Life, Darleen Bungey

Bundanon Trust administers the copyright of Arthur Boyd. The majority of the images displayed here are from the Collection and The Prodigal Son - River 1996 archives of the Bundanon Trust. Permission is given to education groups for the printing and use of this resource for educational Etching purposes. Nodding Greenhood painted 1997, dated 1999

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