NOTE: Green underlined artist names indicate that a detail biography is provided in Dictionary of Australian Artists. Page 1

Copyright © 2019 David James Angeloro “ An Australian Woman’s Impression and Its Influences ” David James Angeloro “( A More Complete Picture )” by David James Angeloro was born and raised in Syracuse, New York and graduated from Columbia University ( New York City ) and (Excerpt of Draft January 2019) Hobart University ( Geneva ). In 1971, he immigrated to Australia where he has worked as a management- technology consultant for commonwealth-state-local government organisations and large corporations throughout Australasia. David’s interest (obsession) with fine arts started while attending university in New York City. In Australia, he earned a Masters of Art from Sydney University for his thesis Sydney’s Women Sculptors: Women’s Work in Three Dimensions [ 1788-1940 ]. His passion for art extends to art history with particular interests in women artists (his two daughters are well-known artists of mashed-up video works), sculptors and painter-etchers. The Angeloro family collections have been nearly fifty years in the making. David’s collecting philosophy focused on affordable second tier artists, who were generally well- known in their day, but have been ‘forgotten’ by art historians and curators. David has followed the world-wide trend of reassessing the position and value of pre-1940 painters, illustrators, printmakers and sculptors, especially marginalized women artists. Why I’m Selling The Collection ? I’m selling my collection because after nearly fifty years, I’m returning to New York and I don’t want these Australian treasures to be lost and unappreciated. It’s time for other art lovers and collectors to appreciate and cherish these artworks. [999] bracketed numbers preceding the name of an illustrated painting is related to the corresponding Lot Number in Davidson’s Auction Catalogue. [NAS] indicates that the painting is “ Not Available for Sale ”; while it was once part of the Angeloro family collection, it has moved on to a new owner.

Enquires: [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS (TOC WITH HOT LINKS) “ AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN’S IMPRESSION AND ITS INFLUENCES (A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE) ”

PREFACE INTRODUCTION Characteristics of Impressionist Pictures WHAT IS IMPRESSIONISM ? Australia’s Plein Air Sketching Clubs and Teachers [from 1845] AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF LANDSCAPES Outdoor Sketching AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF SEA / HARBOUR / RIVER-SCAPES Artists Camps in Australia AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF CITYSCAPES Impressionism in Victoria AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC PARKS AND PRIVATE GARDENS 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF DOMESTIC INTERIOR-EXTERIORS Melbourne School of Art [1893 – 1901] AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF PORTRAITURE, LIFE-STUDIES, MINIATURES Summer School [1894-1901] at Charterisville AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF STILL-LIFE AND FLOWER ARRANGING Artists’ Camps in Victoria AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF THEATRE, ARTS AND LEISURE Australian Impressionists Who Painted in Victoria POSITIONING WOMEN ARTISTS AMONG AUSTRALIA’S IMPRESSIONISTS Impressionism in New South Wales STATUS OF WOMEN ARTISTS AT END-19TH AND EARLY-20TH CENTURIES Artists’ Camps in New South Wales WOMEN ARTISTS BAND TOGETHER Australian Impressionists Who Painted in New South Wales WHY WERE AUSTRALIA’S WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS ‘ FORGOTTEN ’ ? Impressionism in Western Australia THE ‘ FORGOTTEN ’ AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS Impressionism in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania INFLUENCES ON AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISM Australian Impressionists who Painted in Queensland INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISM Australian Impressionists who Painted in South Australia Australian Impressionists who Painted in Tasmania

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PREFACE Let me start by saying that I won’t argue who is Australian, This (excerpt) of An Australian Woman’s Impression and Its American, English, etc and I’ve considered an artist to be Australian if Influences (A More Complete Picture) is a cutdown-version of a he/she was born in Australia and/or painted for a time in Australia. If much larger draft manuscript to be published in the early-2020s (if all not ‘Australian’, then I have used the country in which the person was goes well). It has been one art lover-collector’s obsession and passion born and/or raised. There is no international ‘standard’ and the subject that has spanned nearly fifty years. I would have loved to collect the is a minefield whereby important artists are claimed by national groups Top-Tier of Australian Impressionists, but finances and life prevented with the flimsiest of hooks. I also know that the United Kingdom is part this. Spending hundreds-of-thousands or even tens-of-thousands of of Europe, but in the world of Australian art the distinction can be dollars on a Streeton, Roberts, Conder, etc was simply beyond my important. budget. My subtitle “( A More Complete Picture )” is a response to the Instead, I collected more affordable paintings and researched the 1992 exhibition and book, Completing the Picture: Women Artists Second Tier of Australian Impressionists (for most of their lives and the Heidelberg Era. Don’t get wrong, I consider this exhibition- practiced as professional artists who exhibited extensively; most book a groundbreaking piece of art research, history and curation. being well-known and respected in their day). I also collected the Third However, it gave the impression that this was the last word and the list Tier of Australian Impressionists (largely talented amateurs), simply of Australian women impressionists was now ‘complete’. For starters, it ignored the women impressionists who painted in New South Wales, because the pictures were often exceptional. With Second and Third Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia and Tier Artists typically costing less than $10,000 and some less than even the Victorian list is incomplete. The list of male and female $1,000, it is a highly cost-effective approach to art collecting. Australian impressionists will be nowhere near complete, even after I One of the reasons I collected paintings of Second and Third Tier publish the complete manuscript of An Australian Woman’s Australian Impressionists has always been to use them as illustrations Impression and Its Influences at a future date. Even within the top in my future publications. Prior to the recent decade, acquiring images tiers of Australian Impressionists, new names are being added of largely undocumented or poorly documented Australian artists was including Sophie Steffanoni [1873-1906] in 2005, Llewellyn Jones extremely difficult (almost impossible); collecting was a way of [1866-1927] in 1998, and Robert Taylor Ghee [1869-1951] in 1995. The acquiring these images. Modern technology and especially digital second tier (primarily lesser known professional artists) is currently at imaging and the Internet have changed this. best sketchy and the third tier (primarily talented amateurs) has been With the digitizing of Australia’s newspaper archives and access barely started. to genealogy websites like Ancestry.com, researching a biography of In the mid-1990s, I published an art journal article A WOMAN’S an undocumented Australian artist is less complex and time- IMPRESSION: Australian Women Impressionist 1880s and consuming, but not necessarily easy. What I found most interesting is Beyond in an effort to more fully recognize Australia’s pioneering that many of Australia’s ‘forgotten artists’ were not only quite women impressionists from the omitted States and those who lived successful but were well-known during their lifetimes. The reasons for overseas, primarily in France. While being interesting for the mid- why they were ‘forgotten’ are interesting and a bit tragic, but it’s a topic 1990s, it only progressed our knowledge a short way. In 1995, more suited for a PhD thesis. However, after forty years of researching HERITAGE: The National Women’s Art Book was published, I am and discussing repeatedly the topic with other Australian art greatly honoured to have assisted Joan Kerr as a researcher and researchers and art lovers, I have developed my own opinions and I contributor of images from my private collection. At the time, art don’t really care if the art history establishment supports them. If this research regarding Australian women artists was progressed significantly, but there is still a long way to go, especially in relation to narrative starts a discussion, it has been worth my efforts. Australia’s women impressionists.

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“ AN AUSTRALIAN WOMAN’S IMPRESSION AND ITS INFLUENCES ” ( A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE ) INTRODUCTION Of all the international art movements, Impressionism has garnered one of the highest levels of attention since its inception in the second-half of the 19th century in France. While Impressionism gained popularity with French and International artists and art students, the contemporary art critics and the art establishment hated it. After viewing the (1874) “Exhibition of the Impressionists” held by the Societe Anonyme des Peintres, Sculpteurs et Graveurs (Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors and Engravers). “Stella’ the Sydney Morning Herald’s art critic in Paris mused “Eight of the artists whose works have been rejected by the jury have gratified their feelings by opening what they called ‘The Exhibition of the Works of Impressionist Painters’ in the Rue Le [NAS] Norah Gurdon [1882-1974] Pelletior. This amusing collection contains one-hundred paintings, all of them delightfully ridiculous, “ Under the Window ” some of them horribly hideous, but none of them showing any trace of talent. The public, however, 1922, oil on canvas; 44.5 x 54.5 cm; pays its franc for admission, and seems to get its money's worth in the unconscious fun of the signed: “ N. Gurdon ” (lower right). 1 thing.” PROVENENCE: However, not all the art critics were unreceptive, Jules Castagnary [1830-1888] in his EXHIBITED AND ILLUSTRATED: 1923 Exhibition of L’exposition du boulevard des Capucines - Les Impressionnistes in Le Siecle (29th April Australian Art at London; 1874) commented PURCHASED: 1994 from Sotheby’s. “I swear on the ashes of Cabanel and Gerome, there is talent here, even much talent. These young Norah Gurdon was well-known for plein air impressionistic people have a way of understanding nature which is not in the least boring or banal. It is lively, light, landscapes, Arthur Streeton being a frequent guest at her country property and studio in the Dandenong Ranges. alert; it is ravishing. What instant understanding of the object and what amusing brushwork! True, Rather than following the fashion of presenting landscapes it is summary, but how accurate the pointers are!” in the blue and gold palette made popular by the Heidelberg The first exhibition of impressionistic art contained more than 200 artworks, including oils, School, she preferred the muted blue and gray tones that watercolours and pastels, by 29 artists drawn from the members of the new art association and were true to the Dandenong Ranges. Between 1914 and invited artists (including one woman (Bertha Morisot [1841-1895]) and at least one Englishman 1920, Gurdon was in Europe and the United Kingdom, (Alfred Sisley [1839-1899]), one Italian (Giuseppe De Nittis [1846-1884]), one Danish- spending two years as a VAD nurse at Le Croisic (central- Portuguese (Camille Pissarro [1830-1903]) and two Swiss (Auguste de Molins [1821-1890] and west coast of France) during World War I. During this time, she continued her artistic studies and associated with Louis Léopold Robert [1???-1???]) ). The now famous event wasn’t just a few paintings thrown Australian artists in London and France, including E. together on a spur-of-the-moment whim. It was well organized, curated and publicised. Phillips and Ethel Carrick Fox and Hilda Rix Nicholas. In Financially the exhibition was a failure, the exhibiting artists having to chip in to cover the 1920, Gurdon returned to Australia and added scenes from expenses. Miraculously, between 1876 and 1886, the artists held seven additional Impressionist domestic life to her painting oeuvre. She was a prominent Exhibitions in Paris with few French art critics finding anything positive to report. While the art member of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and establishment was horrified by Impressionism, artists, art students and many art lovers took note Sculptors, her country property becoming an artists’ camp and supported the movement. for the MSWPS’s membership.

1 Sydney Morning Herald (3rd July 1877).

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In 1891, Polish-French art critic Téodor de Wyzewa [1863-1917] claimed that the French Impressionist style was celebrated superficiality in a way that was intrinsically - and unflatteringly - feminine. He wrote “Only a woman has the right to rigorously practice the Impressionist system. She alone can limit her effort to the translation of impressions.” Other art critics joined de Wyzewa’s chorus, belittling the Impressionists by suggesting Impressionism suited the limited capabilities of women, not the sharpened skills of men. Compared to previous art movements where canvases were large and themes were heroic, historical or religious, the Impressionist style was uniquely suited to women artists. The smaller format made it easier to transport the canvas or artists’ board for en plein air painting outdoors. The less formal subject matter also was quite suitable to women artists, including ‘snapshots’ of everyday life that were conveniently captured within their daily routine, including portrayals of domestic settings that included family, children and friends, interiors, garden scenes and [132] Dora Meeson [1869-1955] accessible countryside. Yet only five women participated in the entire sequence of eight French A Harvest Sunset Impressionist Exhibitions (two of whom used pseudonyms and only participated once). Published art history seldom reveals that there were a large number of French and international women 1888; oil on canvas; 20.5 x 30.5 cm; Impressionists working in Paris and the art colonies along the French coast and scenic signed: “ D.M. 1888 ” (lower left). countryside. Even today, typically only four women Impressionists are mentioned, Berthe Morisot PROVENANCE [1841-1895], Mary Cassatt [1844-1926; American], Eva Gonzalès [1849-1883] and Marie PAINTED: 1888 in New Zealand while Dora Meeson Bracquemond [1840-1916]. was studying art at the Canterbury School of Art; In the same year (1886) as the final exhibition by the French Impressionists, a collection of EXHIBITED: Otago Art Society (November 1888), about 300 of their artworks was shown in New York City, the exhibition receiving large Catalogue Number 38 (Otago Witness (23rd attendances, favourable reviews and reputedly $40,000 of sales. Three years later in August November 1888)). 1889, a group of Australian artists held their own impressionist display (see below The 9 by 5 PURCHASED: 1997 from Leonard Joel’s. Impression Exhibition) in Melbourne to announce that the new art movement had taken hold in Australia. A few months later, a group of artists held the first exhibition of impressionistic art This is one of the earliest impressionist paintings to be by resident British artists in London, proving Impressionism was a growing global phenomenon. produced in New Zealand, not only by a woman artist but In England, Impressionistic precepts were introduced to Britain by American James McNeill for men as well. Dora Meeson was born in Hawthorne Whistler who settled in London in 1863. His pupils Walter Richard Sickert and Wilson Steer (Melborne, Victoria), but between 1876 and 1896, her developed an English form of Impressionism which was promoted by the New English Art Club family lived in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and [1885-present]. In late-1889, Sickert and Steer organised the exhibition London Impressionists Victoria. As a teenager, Dora Meeson studied art at the with the more advanced members of the Club, giving English Impressionism a visible presence. Canterbury School of Art in Christchurch under George Throughout the early-1880s (and even 1870s), the Sydney and Melbourne newspapers Herbert Elliott [1860-1941], an en plein air landscape carried news coverage of not only overseas and local Impressionists events and precepts, but painter. Meeson’s A Harvest Sunset was produced before also a lively discussion of its merits and place within the world of art, facilitating its promotion by the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition had been presented in Tom Roberts, E. Phillips Fox and Australia’s early Impressionists. Between the 1890s and early- Melbourne and is among the earliest impressionist 20th century, the Impressionist Art Movement gained popularity and respect with artists, art paintings produced by an Australiam women artist. During collectors and even art critics. Today, Impressionism is one the premier art movements with fine this time, Meeson was associated with Margaret Stoddart, a noted New Zealand Impressionist, and the two ladies European examples fetching hundreds-of-millions of dollars, American examples selling for tens- were members of the Palette Club [1887-1895], a group of of-millions and Australian impressionist works selling for up to the low millions. However, for art New Zealand plein air artists. lovers, impressionistic art isn’t a commodity, but a joy to view, appreciate and for the fortunate, to live with on a day-to-day basis.

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WHAT IS IMPRESSIONISM ? A dictionary definition of ‘ Impressionism ’ would state a style or movement in painting (and printmaking) originating in France in the second-half of the 19th century, characterized by seeking to create a visual impression of the moment, especially in terms of the shifting effect of light and color; a literary or artistic style that seeks to capture a feeling or experience rather than an accurate depiction of the landscape or cityscape, domestic or theatrical interior-exterior, person or group, or elements of a still-life; (in music) a style of composition (associated especially with Debussy) in which clarity of structure and theme is subordinate to harmonic effects, characteristically using the whole-tone scale. Post-Impressionism: an art movement that developed out of Impressionism characterised by a subjective approach to painting, whereby artists sought to evoke emotion rather than realism in their work; styles varied considerably, but still commonly included symbolic motifs, unnatural color, and painterly brushstrokes; Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, George Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec and Henri Rousseau were the European leaders of the movement. [155] Fabiola Tuomy [1875-1967] Impressionist painters rejected the rigid rules taught at the art academies of the 19th century. To showcase a new way to observe and depict the world, the abandoned realistic portrayals for The Harvest, Charterisville fleeting impressions of their subject in a captured moment. By turning away from highly finished circa 1898; oil on canvas; 59.5 x 74.0 cm. th and detailed depictions so loved by the 19 century art establishment, the Impressionists aimed Provenance to capture the momentary, sensory effect of a scene - the impression made on the eye in a PAINTED: circa 1898, en plein air while Fabiola fleeting instant. To achieve this effect, the artists ‘painted directly from nature’ and landscape Tuomy was a student at E. Phillips Fox’s and painting moved from being compiled, detailed and finished in the studio from sketches to being Tudor St George Tucker’s Summer School at painted ‘en plein air’ directly from the countryside or locality being depicted. Charterisville; While the Impressionist Art Movement started in France, it spread throughout the United PURCHASED: 1995 from Leonard Joel’s. Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia-New Zealand, each country adopting characteristics most suitable for its own local conditions and environments. Because light was Fabiola Tuomy was a student of E. Phillips Fox’s and Tudor St George Tucker’s Summer School at Charterisville, such a crucial factor in an impressionistic picture, the character of a bright French or Australian nearby where this picture was painted. Harvest scenes and impression was always going to be different from one painted in Scandinavia or England. Even especially haystacks were a popular subject for the French within a particular country or nationality, individual impressionists tended to favour a blend of Impressionists and several examples of haystacks by E. styles that was typically related to his/her own training and experience. For example, Australian Phillips Fox are in Australian public collections. The rural Impressionism was influenced not only by the French Impressionists, but also proponents from scene is depicted with a setting sun, capturing the tree-row Italy, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Scotland, Spain, England and United States of America. as almost a silhouette to emphasise the time of day and end In Australia, Impressionism is often mistakenly equated to the “ Heidelberg School ”, but of the growing season. While some art historian claim that Australian Impressionism has a much broader context than landscapes painted in the environs women artists painted primarily domestic scenes, it has around Melbourne. Even within the paintings produced in the late-1880s and early-1890s in-and- been my experience that rural scenes, harbour-coastal- around Heidelberg, there are two groups of distinction, those artists influenced by Streeton, river landscapes, mountain vistas and city-park settings Roberts, Conder and other ‘Heidelberg School’ artists and those painters taught or directly were popular with women painters, especially those influenced by E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker, who adopted a more French painting in an impressionistic style. Harvest scenes were Impressionist approach. The Impressionists did not just paint landscapes, but also domestic also produced by Edith E. Cusack, Sophie Steffanoni, Ethel interior-exteriors, portraits-life studies, still-lifes & flower arrangements and theatre-arts-leisure. A. Stephens and other Australian women impressionists. Outside Victoria, Australian Impressionism had its own influences, there being a blending of styles to form a more diverse “Australian School of Impressionism”.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF LANDSCAPES {WIP} When art historians discuss Australian landscape painting, they tend to focus on the late- 19th century ‘Heidelberg School’2 of Australian artists, who are often mistakenly equated to Australian Impressionism. In 1891, American art critic Sidney Dickinson coined the term ‘Heidelberg School’ in the monthly journal Australasian Critic3 (1st July 1891) with a simple and precise meaning, describing those artists who painted the landscape en plein air around Heidelberg, Victoria in the late-1880s and 1890s. Between 1891 and 1925, Australia’s newspaper art critics, commentators or artists never published or used the term.4 By the time Australian art history had begun to be published by William Moore, Bernard Smith and others in the 20th century, the term had gained a wider meaning among art historians, being used more generally to identify a generative phase during the late-19th century in Melbourne and Sydney to paint landscape en plein air. The landscape paintings of E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker were closely associated with French Impressionism, as were the Australian artists like Rupert Bunny, Bessie Davidson, Bessie Gibson, Agnes Goodsir, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Iso Rae and John Peter Russel [NAS] Hilda Rix Nicholas [1884-1961] who had studied in Paris and painted for large portions of their careers in Paris and the artists’ “The Great Snowy River, N.S.W.” colonies along the French coast and rural countryside. Others like J. Ford Paterson, William 1932; oil on canvas; 50.0 x 60.0 cm; Lister Lister, John Mather and other Scottish-influenced artists and Italians like Girolamo Nerli signed: ‘ Hilda Rix Nicholas ’ (lower right). brought other interpretations of the Australian landscape and impressionistic painting styles. PROVENANCE [194] Robert Taylor Ghee PURCHASED: 1992 from private collector. Australian Bush Camp Between 1907 and 1918, Hilda Rix Nicholas lived in the United Kingdom and Europe where she studied art in Paris before 1910; oil on board; 20.5 x 29.5 cm; and London and painted in the French art colonies. Her signed: “ R.T. Ghee ” (lower left). painting style was more closely associated with the French Provenance Impressionists than Australia’s Heidelberg School artists In PAINTED: before 1910 around 1918, she returned to Australia, but in early-1920s, returned Healesville. to Europe. A 1925 exhibition in Paris led to the sale of her EXHIBITED: “Picturesque Healesville” work In Australia to the Musée du Luxembourg. In the September 1910 at solo exhibition at 1926, Hilda Rix Nicholas was made an Associate of Paris’s Block Builds on Elizabeth Street (Herald Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. In 1926, she returned to (13th September 1910) Australia, and in 1928, married Edgar P. Wright, whom she “The artist paints the many phases of bushland had met during her travels in the early-1920s. The couple life about the homestead, the mail coach seen settled at Delegate in Southern New South Wales where through the trees, and drover following his Hilda Rix Nicholas continued to paint the New South Wales sheep through a cloud of dust.” countryside. PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s.

2 Not to be confused with the Heidelberg State School that was operated by the Victorian Education Department. 3 Australasian Critic was a short-lived (1890-1891) and largely unsuccessful attempt by Professors T. G. Tucker, W. Baldwin Spencer and E.E. Morris, to institute a regular and systematic review of the arts in Australia. 4 The first time ‘Heidelberg School’ appeared in Australia’s print media was in the Melbourne Age (13th May 1926) and later in the Argus (16th October 1934).

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One significant departure from French Impressionism was the use of watercolours by many of Australia’s Impressionists. The French Impressionists overwhelmingly used oil paints to create their impressions, Eugène Boudin [1824-1898] and Berthe Morisot [1841-1895] being the exceptions. However, the French Post-Impressionists were more willing to experiment and use watercolours and gouache as a media for their impressionistic artworks. Watercolour painting was championed in the late-18th and early-19th century by a number of British artists who took it from being largely a sketching medium to one used to create paintings for sale at public exhibitions. Watercolours were clean, light in weight, inexpensive and widely available, its techniques being taught at home and in schools to children and especially, young women. Watercolour painting was often dismissed as “a ladies’ medium” but by the late-19th century, it had become mainstream in Britain, its colonies like Australia, and the United States. By the second-half of the 19th century, the use of watercolours to produce exhibition paintings was well-established in Australia. In the late-19th century, art teachers like Julian R. Ashton, Alfred J. Daplyn, William Lister Lister and John S. Watkins taught watercolour painting in Sydney, while in Melbourne, the Scottish-born John Mather and J. Ford Paterson advanced watercolour techniques and the precept of Scottish Impressionism to the artists of Melbourne. In Australia and especially in Sydney, there was a group of professional artists who specialized in producing watercolour paintings in an impressionistic style, including Fred Elliott, Albert J. Hanson, Jesse J. Hilder, Benjamin E. Minns, Alice E. Norton, Reginal W. Sturgess, Charles E.S. Tindall, William Tristram, Blamire Young and Isabel McWhannell. While the artists of the Heidelberg School all painted in watercolours, it was primarily used after the turn of the century.

[139] Alice Eliza Norton [1865-1948] Sheep Grazing in Shade of Trees 1904/09; watercolour; 18.0 x 31.5 cm; signed: “ A.E. Norton ” (lower centre). [NAS] John S. Watkins [1866-1942]

PROVENANCE Picking Wildflowers PURCHASED: 1995 from Lawsons. circa 1900; watercolours; 55.0 x 32.0 cm; In the first-half of the 1890s, Alice E. Norton signed: “ J.S. Watkins ” (lower left). studied under Alfred J. Daplyn and Julian R. PROVENANCE Ashton, who instilled a passion for en plein air PURCHASED: 1990 from private collector. landscape painting in watercolours. Her family was quite wealthy (her father was a Member of the Legislative Council) and she was related to Ethel A. Stephens While most traditional landscapes were set in a horizontal (first cousin) and Elsie Deane (sister-in-law). The family home, Ecclesbourne (Double Bay), was not only the meeting format, the Impressionists often used vertically elongated and exhibition venue for The Painting Club, but also a centre for Sydney’s art loving patrons. The Club met on the first compositions with large foregrounds containing a sweeping Thursday of each month, paintings by members were exhibited and critiqued, prizes were awarded by popular vote, meadow or other somewhat ‘empty’ space providing a and there were ‘open houses’ held so art lovers could view and purchase the artworks. The Club was taken very striking juxtaposition of the elements in the near and distant seriously, a one shilling fine being levied for any member who didn’t have a good reason for missing a scheduled space. meeting. In 1910, Alice E. Norton was a foundation member of the Society of Women Painters, for a time serving as its Vice President.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF SEA / HARBOUR / RIVER-SCAPES {WIP} While Melbourne’s Impressionists primarily established their artists’ camps in the rural districts northwest of the city, in Sydney, the artists’ camps were established along the foreshore of the harbour and the coastal beaches. The landscape around Melbourne was more often than not portrayed as being dry, somewhat harsh and lonely place among the tall Australian gum trees and wide pasturelands, the water of the Yarra River or other streams being typically brown or grey. In contrast, Sydney Harbour, the Pacific Ocean and even the rivers like the Hawkesbury, Colo or Nepean are portrayed as sparkling blues with white capped waves. Instead of lonely families of pastoralists or campers, Sydney’s scenes are populated with people enjoying a walk on the pearl sands of a beach or rocky shoreline, or boating on a blue expanse of water. While [114] Aline M. Cusack [1867-1949] scenes of the Australian bush were often elevated to heroic myth, scenes of Sydney Harbour and the Darling Harbour Waterfront, 1895 coastal beaches were recorded with a vibrant 1895; oil on panel; 41.5 x 24.0 cm; sense of excitement and pride. signed: “ A Cusack 1895 ” (lower left). PROVENANCE PAINTED: 1895, shortly after her sister Edith E. Cusack had returned from studying art for 3 years in Paris; related to painting, Darling Harbour 1895, painted by Edith E. Cusack that is in Newcasle Art Gallery’s Collection. [NAS] David Barker [1888-1946] PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. Sunday Sailing – Sunday Stroll, When not in Europe, Aline and Edith Cusack taught art Manly Beach from their Paling’s Building studio and conducted 1913; oil on canvas; 10.0 x 54.0 cm; “Outdoor Landscape Painting Classes” that were signed: ‘ David Barker ’ (lower right). popular among Sydney’s women artists and in 1890s, were prominent members of the Strathfield Ladies’ PROVENANCE Sketch Club. PURCHASED: 1989 from private collector.

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In the late-19th century, improved public transport made beaches more accessible while reduced working hours meant people had more leisure time. A day at the beach became a popular activity with anyone with the tram or ferry fare being able to spend the day at Bondi or Manly in Sydney, Brighton or St Kilda in Melbourne, Cottesloe in Perth, Glenelg in Adelaide, or Redcliffe in Brisbane. However in the 19th century, concerns about decency and morality outlawed bathing during daylight hours. In protest against existing laws, William Gocher advertised in 1902 that he would swim at Manly Beach, but he was not arrested. Similar protests occurred at other beaches, but police were reluctant to arrest the swimmers as long as they were decently clothed. Swimwear first appeared in the early-20th century, previously many people swam in their underwear or wore nothing at all. It wasn’t long before neck-to-knee suits became the standard for both men and women, but during the 1930s, swimsuits began to reflect broader fashion trends and ever greater levels of flesh were considered acceptable, the bikini debuting in 1946 and becoming popular in the 1950s. In 1915, Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku introduced surfing to Australia at Freshwater Beach in Sydney. When American lifesavers brought lighter Malibu boards to Australia in 1956, surfing’s popularity grew and by the 1950s, the icon Australian surf culture took off. Australia’s early impressionists painted fully clothed day-trippers relaxing or walking on beaches, or allegorical nudes frolicking in the surf, but it was Australia’s Post-Impressionists that recorded [NAS] Albert Henry Fullwood [1863-1930] Australia’s iconic beach and surf cultures. “ Old Sand Sculptor, Bondi ” [NAS] John Santry [1910-1990] 1924, watercolour & gouache; 18.0 x 13.0 cm; signed: “ A.F. ’24 ” (lower left). (above) Australian Surfer Girl (right) Bondi Beach 1970s; oil on board; signed: “ Santry ” (lower right). PROVENANCE PURCHASED: 1990 at Lawsons.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF CITYSCAPES {WIP} Cityscapes became popular in the 17th century but tended to be more about the architecture and streetscape than capturing the city’s mood and atmosphere. In the 19th century, it seemed that every artist who took the grand tour had to paint Venice, its canals, bridges, gondolas, gothic architecture and of course reflections in the water. James McNeill Whistler, many of the leading French Impressionists and their followers made pilgrimages to paint Venice, afterward these paintings affecting the perspective of other cities built on waterways. Between 1853 and 1870, Paris was reconstructed with wide boulevards, public gardens, and grand masonry buildings, these being popular subjects of Impressionists. Architecture was no longer central to the picture, but instead the play of light and shadows, atmospheric affects caused by weather conditions and the hustle-bustle of the city’s pedestrians and carriages became the focus. When Tom Roberts returned to Australia in 1885, he almost immediately undertook the large (51.2 x 76.7cm) oil painting, Allegro con brio, Bourke Street West, a wide-angle view from a [NAS] George W.L. Hirst [1868-1965] high vantagepoint of the city life of Melbourne. No one would mistake the location, it was definitely After the Rain, George Street, Sydney not Paris, London or Venice. Bourke Street was still unpaved, the buildings were constructed of brick and wood with street-level awnings to provide a bit of shade for pedestrians, the atmosphere circa 1890s; watercolour; 22.0 x 32.5 cm; being hot and dusty under an intense glaring sun. A line of a dozen horse-drawn cabs runs down signed: “ G.W.L. Hirst ” (lower right). the middle of the wide roadway and there are additional conveyances loading and unloading, PROVENANCE adding to the hurried activity. More than one-hundred-and-fifty men, women and children COLLECTION: Pro Hart and his family until 2008; populate the scene, three-quarters being portrayed by a few dabs of color (red, blue, yellow, white PURCHASED: 2008 Bonham’s. and black) against the drab tans of the street and buildings. Allegro con brio is an Italian musical instruction meaning ‘to play quickly, with brilliance’, emphasizing the hustle-bustle of the urban scene. Roberts successfully captured the moment and the spirt of Melbourne in his iconic painting that few Australian impressionists tried to emulate, though Robert Taylor Ghee’s cityscapes probably come the closest. Capturing bright sunlight wasn’t always the objective, rainy days and nocturnes also were popular atmospheric settings that Australian impressionists sought to capture. The painting of nocturnes, which depict scenes evocative of night or subjects as they appear in a veil of light or twilight, or in the absence of direct light, were popularized by American painter James McNeill Whistler. Rainy days provided not only an alternative to a landscape in bright sunlight, but when applied to cityscapes provided reflections on wet streets and puddles of water, and of course, opportunities for a splash of colour and interesting geometric shapes like umbrellas. More than any other Australian Impressionist, Italian Girolamo Nerli popularized the rainy-day scene and the inclusion of umbrellas as a design element in [NAS] Sydney Long [1871-1955] Australian paintings. Though mainly known for his Foot of Clyde Street, Old Sydney sunlit rural landscapes and harbour scenes, Arthur Streeton also created moody cityscapes, including 1899; oil on board; 35.0 x 26.5 cm; Hoddle St., 10 p.m. (1889), Railway Station, signed: “ S Long ” (lower right). Redfern and Fireman’s Funeral (1894). Provenance Purchased: 1993 from Goodman’s.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC PARKS AND PRIVATE GARDENS {WIP} Gardens have been associated with homes for millennia, but these home gardens were usually reserved for the growing of herbs, vegetables and fruit for the consumption and use of the family. Decorative and leisure gardens didn’t become popular until the 19th century, when homeowners in the expanding cities wanted a bit of colour and leisure space to brighten their family’s lives and impress their neighbors. The love of a few plants to brighten up the home surroundings trickled down from the wealthy who possessed landscaped estates to the middleclass who created street-side gardens to impress their neighbors and backyard gardens and leisure areas for the enjoyment of their family and friends. Even the less well-off often cherished a few potted plants or a flowerbox to brighten their lives. The development of urban parks and private decorative gardens is generally stated as developing in the mid-19th century. In England, Regent’s Park in London (opened 1835), Prince’s Park in Liverpool (1842) and Birkenhead Park (1847) in Birkenhead were early urban parks and [150] Ethel A. Stephens [1864-1944] Central Park (1858) in New York City is usually stated as one of the earliest municipal park Garden Arch projects in the United States. However, on the other side of the world in early Sydney, on 11th a.k.a. Garden in Bloom, Vaucluse February 1810, Governor Lachlan Macquarie formally reserved 16 hectares for Hyde Park, the circa 1899; oil on board; 16.0 x 21.0 cm; first public park set aside in Australia. Prior to this, the rich and influential had created reserves signed: “ E.A. Stephens ” (lower right). and parks for their private use, the concept of an open public space for the use and recreation of PROVENANCE the common people being a new concept. PURCHASED: 1889 from private collector.

Ethel A. Stephens was particularly fond of painting garden scenes, a colourful alternative to the still-lifes and flower arrangements she often exhibited. Stephens’ choice of subject matter was greatly influenced while she studied at [159] Janie W. Whyte [1869-1953] Paris’s Académie de la Grande Chaumière under Swiss “ The Patriarch, painter Martha Stettler [1870-1945], Russian-French Alice Wattle Park, (Melbourne) ” Dannenberg [1861-1948] and Frenchman Lucien Simon [1861-1945]. Gardens had been an enduring motif in circa 1917; oil on canvas; artworks, usually as a picturesque setting for a picnic 42.0 x 52.0 cm; scene, tea on the lawn or a child picking flowers. At the end signed: “ Janie Wilkinson Whyte ” (lower right) of the 19th century, there was dramatic enthusiasm for domestic horticulture and for the Impressionists, gardens PROVENANCE became a subject in their own right and not simply a PAINTED: shortly after Wattle Park convenient backdrop. Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, opened in 1917 and became a popular Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley spot for picnickers. painted garden scenes, as did Post-Impressionists like PURCHASED: 1995 from Leonard Joel’s. Paul Cezanne and Pierre Bonnard. Through his paintings, Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny (80 kilometers northwest of Paris) became one of the best-loved gardens in Europe.

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By the 1860s, the crossbreeding of new plant and flower species and the opening of former royal and private parks to the public stimulated a great horticultural movement in Europe, the Americas and Australia-New Zealand. With their delight in colour, plein air effects and daily life themes, the French Impressionists and their international followers naturally turned to gardens for artistic inspiration. From Manet’s earliest depictions of Paris’s Tuileries Gardens to Monet’s numerous paintings of his garden at Giverny, the Impressionists undoubtedly demonstrated a love affair with gardens as places of relaxation, leisure and coulourful beauty. While the artists of Australia’s Heidelberg School relished in painting the Australian landscape, E. Phillips Fox favoured park and garden scenes that were always populated with elegant women, endearing children and men enjoying a bit of leisure. Fox’s students like Ina [NAS] Ellis Rowan [1848-1922] Gregory painted the garden scenes at the Charterisville cottages and at home, the latter also Marian Ellis Ryan was born in Melbourne, her father being a popular subject of Sydney’s women impressionists, especially Ethel A. Stephens. Charles Ryan was a grazier at Kilfera station, Port Phillip The inclusion of Ellis Rowan within this section of Australian Impressions of Public Parks District,and her maternal grandfather was John Cotton, and Private Gardens may seem strange, but the reality is that her botanical studies crossed the who wrote and illustrated two books on English birds. In 1873, she married Captain Frederic Rowan [1845-1892] boundaries between art and natural history illustration. Her artworks are generally of a very high of the British Army and later worked as an electrical standard in both these disciplines, her studies of flowers, insects and birds often being set in an engineer, the couple living in New Zealand and Victoria. intimate context, with the environment being done in an impressionist style. The treatment and Ellis Rowan was an entirely self-taught artist, who began composition are more intimate than just landscape and the composition aren’t contrived like a still- to paint wildflowers, birds, insects and butterflies at an life. Ellis Rowan’s artworks are included because the habitat in which her subjects were painted early age. From 1879 onwards, she exhibited paintings at en plein air are more like her private garden than the wilds of some rainforest, meadow or remote international exhibitions, being awarded 10 Gold, 15 district. Silver and 4 Bronze Medals and received the highest honours at the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne, much to the dismay of Tom Roberts. She travelled widely in Australia and internationally, recording the flowers of Australia, New Zealand, the Himalayas, Europe, the United States, Caribbean Islands, and High Country of Papua New Guinea. In 1920, Ellis Rowan held an exhibition of 1,000 flower paintings in Sydney, the largest solo exhibition to have ever been held in Australia.

“ Giant Waterlilies ” a.k.a Nymphaea gigantea Hook 1911; watercolour-guauche; 55.0 x 81.0cm; signed” “ Ellis Rowan ” (lower left). Ellis Rowan’s Giant Waterlilies was painted en plein air while on a painting trip to Queensland and is related to smaller paintings held in the National Library and Queensland Art Gallery. It is quite a striking painting, its large size and bold composition being quite unusual for Rowan’s oeuvre.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF DOMESTIC INTERIOR-EXTERIORS {WIP} American painter Mary Cassatt began exhibiting with the Impressionists in 1879, depicting not only the private sphere of the home and especially the bond between a mother and her children. In the late-19th century, it was considered unacceptable for women painters to set up an easel in public places at least without a suitable chaperone. Women allegedly relied on domestic scenes of mothers cuddling babies, playing with children, dressing in the boudoir, or tending their gardens. The garden was central to late-19th century life. The French impressionist often painted their gardens. While Australia was far less conservative than England and Europe, Australian women still had to consider what society would think. Grouping together was one solution, there being strength and ‘social acceptance’ in numbers. Australia’s women impressionists were considerably more associated with land / sea / harbour / city-scape painting than their British or French sister- artists. Images of Australian domestic life and surroundings weren’t excluded but are definitely [122] Elsie Hake (Mrs Barlow) [1876-1948] fewer in number and overall proportion of total women oeuvre. Girl with Doll [103] Alice Marion Ellen Bale [1875-1955] a.k.a. My First Doll circa 1910; oil on canvas; 64.0 x 74.0 cm; The Letter signed: “ E. Barlow ” (lower right). a.k.a. Admiring the Begonias PROVENANCE circa 1900; oil on canvas; 54.0 x 54.0 cm; PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. signed: “ A.M.E. Bale ” (upper right). Elsie Hake (Mrs Barlow) received her artistic training PROVENANCE privately under Jane Sutherland, Walter Withers and at E. PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. Phillips Fox’s Melbourne School of Art and the National Gallery of Victoria School (1894-1901) under Fred In 1902, Alice M.E. Bale painted Leisure McCubbin and Bernard Hall, being awarded a number of Moments, an iconic interior scene with three prizes and being a top contender for the School’s ladies actively occupying the space of Bale’s prestigious Travelling Scholarship in her final year. studio, but none are looking out at the viewer. Alice Bale’s father was a well-known naturalist and From 1901, she conducted art classes at the Buxton his daughter relished in portraying floral still-lifes. Building on Collins Street. In 1907, she exhibited oil (a Admiring the Begonia is quite unusual as it portrait and a genre painting), watercolour (landscapes, portrays a lady who is inside the home, admiring a seascapes and genre) paintings and black-and-white potted plant outside. What is unusual about this (portraits) pictures at the Australian Exhibition of composition is that the begonia’s flowers are not Women's Work. Between 1918 and 1941, she had the focus, but instead the large variegated leaves almost annual solo exhibitions of watercolours from her of the plant carry the interest. studio or other galleries on Collins Street. She helped establish the Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum. In 1917, she returned to Melbourne where she taught art and exhibited extensively. In 1923, her work was included in the Exhibition of Australian Art at the London’s Royal Academy.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF PORTRAITURE, LIFE-STUDIES AND MINIATURES {WIP} While Australian art historians barely mention portraiture, during the late-19th and early-20th centuries, depicting human subjects was a popular career path for artists with the talent to capture the character of the sitter. Portraiture was popular with the French and international impressionists, primarily producing intimate portrayals of family and friends, instead of large formal portraits that ooze of importance, wealth and power. Surprisingly, a number of portraits were exhibited at the (1889) The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, including Charles Conder’s An Impressionist, a lively and evocative full-length (28.5 x 23.4 cm) portrayal of Tom Roberts with his painter’s palette, hand casually in jacket pocket and taking a step. In particular, in the late-19th century, Tom Roberts was noted for his impressionistic portraits that reveal influences from Whistler and Velasquez, but Roberts’ later head studies tended to be produced in a more traditional style.5 For Australians, artists who wanted to paint portraits on commission attended the National Gallery of Victoria School under George Follingsby or Bernard Hall (numerous students including George Coates, John Longstaff, William B. McInnes, John P. Quinn and Isabel Tweedle), England’s Heatherley School of Art [from 1845] (students included Eleanor Henderson Harrison, Charles Hunt, Gladys D. Laycock and Constance Roth) or the Herkomer School [1883-1926] (students included Lawson Balfour, Matthew J. MacNally, Josephine A. Muntz Adams, Kathleen O’Connor, Blamire Young and Mary Augusta Walker). In 1921, the Art Gallery of NSW established the prestigious Archibald Prize for Portraiture, but of the 97 winners, only 10 have been women artists, only 3 in the first 75 years of the competition. What early portraits that were acquired by the major public collections were inevitably by men, Edith E. Cusack’s oil and watercolour portraits [107] Elaine E. Coghlan [1897-1989] of her sister Aline being an exception. Monsieur de Closay – Artist [136] Josephine Muntz-Adams [1862-1949] 1929; oil on canvas on board; 44.0 x 33.5 cm; Study for ‘Sleep’ signed: “ Elaine Coghlan ” (lower right). circa 1920; oil on canvas; 16.5 x 24.5 cm; PROVENANCE signed: “ J. Muntz-Adams ” (lower right). EXHIBITED: 1929 Finalist in prestigious Archibald Prize for Portraiture; Sydney Morning Herald (17th PROVENANCE January 1930) PURCHASED: 2001 from Lawson’s. “ …there is also a spirited study by Miss Elaine Coghlan, a portrait Josephine Muntz-Adams preferred using friends of M. de Closay, showing strength and definiteness of treatment.” and relatives in her paintings, usually posed COLLECTIONS: 1929-1993 Elaine Coghlan then by reading, sewing or relaxing, evocative of the ‘upper- descent through family class kept woman’. However, she lived through her PURCHASED: 1993 from artist’s family. art, her marriage in 1898 only lasting five years before her husband’s death.

5 The Art Gallery of NSW possesses nearly 20 portraits produced by Tom Roberts.

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However, one area where Australia’s women artists had almost a monopoly was the painting of portrait miniatures. Between the 1890s and 1930s, Daysi Brookes, Edith E. Cusack, Bernice E. Edwell, Beryl Ireland, Gladys D. Laycock, Stella E. Marks, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Frankie Payne, Florence Rodway, Justine Kong Sing, Jane Sutherland, Mary and Florence E. Stoddart, Bess Norriss Tait, May Vale, Ada Whiting and Janie Wilkinson Whyte were all noted for the finely painted portrait miniatures. [138] Bess Norriss-Tait [1878-1939] Miniature Portrait of Young Girl circa 1907 (in 1908, Bess Norris married and became Norriss-Tait); watercolour-gouache in gold locket; 3.5 x 2.5 cm (size of half-dollar); signed: “ Bess Norriss ” (centre left). Provenance PAINTED: circa 1907 (she learned miniature painting in circa 1906 and married in 1908 becoming Norriss-Tait); Purchased: 1993 from Leonard Joel’s (jewelry auction).

[146] Florence Aline Rodway [1881-1971] Profile of Woman in Fur Coat a.k.a. Margaret Preston - Miniature

late-1920s; gouache on ivory; 12.5 x 5.5 cm; signed: “ F. Rodway ” (lower right). [130] Gladys D. Laycock [1882-1957] Provenance Portrait Miniature of Lady PAINTED: 1920s when both Rodway and Preston 1910s; watercolour-gouache; 10.0 x 8.0 cm; were active in Society of Women Painters; in 1994, signed: “ Gladys Laycock ” (lower right). an old friend of Preston’s remembered Margaret Preston parading in the embroidered coat with fur Provenance collar that was "over the top" for the fashion of the Purchased: 1994 from Sotheby’s. day. Compare with (1930) Self-Portrait of Margaret Preston in Art Gallery of NSW. PURCHASED: 1993 from Leonard Joel’s.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF STILL-LIFE AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS {WIP} Impressionistic still-life paintings were often produced by French Impressionist Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir and other artists. Still-lifes and flower arrangements were popular with the art buying public and could be produced indoors when the weather was miserable. Despite Tom Roberts’ disparaging of ‘mere flower painters’, Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts produced a large oeuvre of still-life paintings, especially flower arrangements. Though some of these were produced in the 1880s and 1890s, most were painted after World War I, especially because they were easy to sell and didn’t require the artists to leave their studio. (1891) The Hot Sands, Mustapha, Algiers by Charles Conder may be the most interesting still-life painted of the 1890s, a flower arrangement set against a background of the Mediterranean coastline of North Africa. While paintings of still-life and flower arrangements are typically associated with women artists, there were many Australian women artists who considered themselves and by the art critics and public to be landscape painters, portraitists and genre artists. In the 1890s, Constance Roth made a reputation for herself in Australia, England and South Africa for her decorative [125] Ellen Adye Hume [1862-1933] still-lifes and paintings of Australia flora. In the Still Life 1890s, Emily Meston was well respected as a still-life painter in Sydney, her Study of Grapes a.k.a. Flower Arranging being purchased by the Art Galley of NSW in circa 1905; oil on canvas board; 29.0 x 36.0 cm; 1895. However, Meston was primarily a portrait signed: “ E.A. Hume ” (lower right). painter who earned an exceptional living from PROVENANCE her commissions. Post-impressionist Ellen COLLECTIONS: until 1993 reputedly with family; Adye Hume’s still-life paintings sold well, but PURCHASED: 1993 from Archer’s (Katoomba). she considered herself primarily a landscape painter. In the 1920s and 1930s, Elaine E. Painted shortly after Ellen Adye Hume arrived in Sydney Coghlan barely produced a still-life, and relied from country New South Wales. Even though, she had on the sale of landscapes and portraits to married into the well-off family of Hume the explorer, she support herself and extended family. was divorced from her husband (for cruelty) and left to support her children through the sale of her paintings and art classes she gave from her inner-city studio. She soon [112] Sybil Craig [1901-1989] became a popular painter of primarily landscapes and still- “Chinese Jar and Black-Berry Leaves” lifes, her impressionistic style being influenced through her close association with Edith E. and Aline M. Cusack and a.k.a. Artist’s Still-Life other Sydney-based impressionists. Throughout the first- 1934: oil on canvas board; 37.0 x 27.0 cm; quarter of the 20th century, Ellen Adye Hume was an active signed: “ Sybil Craig 1934 ” (lower right). member of the Royal Art Society (from 1894), Society of Artists and Sydney’s Society of Women Painters, putting PROVENANCE her in close contact with Australia’s leading artists. She PURCHASED: 1993 from Goodman’s. was also a leading member of the Arts and Craft Society of New South Wales.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONS OF THEATRE, ARTS AND LEISURE {WIP} Starting with the French Impressionists, new forms of leisure, including theatrical entertainment, cafés, popular concerts, and dance were painted to capture a brief moment of time. Taking an approach similar to Naturalist writers such as Émile Zola, the painters of theatre-arts- leisure scenes depicted fleeting yet typical moments in the lives of characters they observed. Edgar Degas was well-known for his paintings of the ballet and concerts, Toulouse-Lautrec his depictions of dancehalls and Édouard Manet his pictures of café culture. The Australian impressionists were more restrained, only a few examples of theatre-arts-leisure were produced and exhibited. A few notable examples were Arthur Streeton’s (1889) The National Game (a.k.a. rugby match) and Tom Roberts’ Adagio (a lady violin player), but for the most part this was not a subject in which Heidelberg School artists indulged. Influenced by French Impressionism, E. Phillips Fox favoured leisure scenes of families and friends, especially elegant ladies relaxing, dining al fresco, wandering through a market or park, or spending the day at the beach. Australia’s post-impressionists were to take up the images of theatre, ballet, concerts, cafes and leisure life. In particular, Daryl Lindsay, Francis Lymburner, Thea Proctor, John Santry, Cossington Smith and Loudon Sainthill favoured these subjects. However, it was the little-known Harold Byrne who in the late-1930s and 1940s created an oeuvre of ballet images in watercolours, oils and etching. When the Ballet Rouse toured in the late-1930s and Colonel de [177] Garden Party Basil’s Covent Garden Ballet in early-1940s, circa 1931; monotype; 20.5 x 17.0 cm; Byrne toured with the companies capturing the signed: “ Harold Byrne ” (lower right). performances in series of watercolours and limited-edition portfolios of aquatint etchings which are the finest examples of post- impressionist intaglio prints produced in Australia.

[178] Harold Byrne [1900-1966] “ Covent Garden Ballet: Carnival – Swan Lake – Les Sylphides ” 1940; watercolours; signed: “ Harold Byrne ” Provenance PAINTED: 1940 at Theatre Royale when Colonel de Basil’s Covent Garden Ballet was touring Sydney. PURCHASED: 1990 from former girlfriend of Harold Byrne.

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POSITIONING WOMEN ARTISTS AMONG AUSTRALIA’S IMPRESSIONISTS

STATUS OF WOMEN ARTISTS AT END-19TH AND EARLY-20TH CENTURIES {WIP} By the 1890s, the number and skill of women artists in Europe, the Americas and Australia- New Zealand had grown significantly. These ladies did not work behind the closed doors of their homes for the sole benefit of themselves and their families but painted and exhibited alongside the leading male artists of the period. Their motives weren’t to ‘earn a bit of pin money’, but in most cases were to earn a living to support not only themselves but also their extended families. At the end of the 19th century, the role and status of women in society was changing rapidly. In 1891, it was reported in a Paris newspaper that “There are altogether 484 lady exhibitors at the (1891) Paris Salon. Of these 165 painters in oils, 190 are sculptors, 77 designers in pencils and pastels, and 52 engravers and lithographers. No lady architect or medal engraver has yet appeared. The ladies who have won prizes at past Salons are — for painting 194; for sculpture 109; and for engraving 80. It is calculated that there are altogether 1,800 professional lady painters, sculptors, and engravers, to say nothing of those who live by painting menus, fans, porcelain and designing for industrial purposes.”6 In the United States, it was reported (bracketed numbers were for 1870) “In 1890, there were 4,455 female doctors (527); 337 female dentists (24); 240 female lawyers (5); 1,235 female preachers (67); 180 female engineers and land surveyors (none); 25 female architects (1); 11,000 lady painters and sculptors (412); 3,000 female authors (169); 888 female journalists (35); 34,518 female musicians (5735); 3,949 actresses (692); 684 female theatrical managers (100); 21,185 shorthand writers (7); 64,048 clerks, secretaries, etc (8,106); 27,777 female bookkeepers (none).”7 [117] Jessie L. Evans [1860-1943] In England, it was reported that “There are 4,500 women painters in England.”8 Little Wanders in Bush While there are no statistics on the number of women painters in Australia in 1890, it can be a.k.a. Morning Stroll, Heidelberg assumed that Australia possessed a similar number of women artists as England, France or circa 1898; oil on canvas; 37.0 x 27.0 cm. United States that is proportional to its population (3.15 million residents in 1890; therefore PROVENANCE Australia possessed approximately between 500 and 550 women artists, which seems like a PURCHASED: 1994 from Sotheby’s. reasonable number who were earning an income from their art). This number grew each decade Few artworks by Jessie L. Evans were signed because as the status of women continued to evolve and feminist precepts and ideology spread through her father considered exhibiting paintings for sale to be active public promotion, demonstrations and occasional civil disobedience. The 1890s were a ‘unladylike’ and cast aspersions on his ability to support his family. In the late-1890s, Jessie Evans stopped particular period of advancement for women because the economic depression of the 1890s exhibiting at a time when a greater number of women were meant that many families were in severe financial difficulty and all avenues of additional family exhibiting their artworks with the hope of receiving income were important and even essential. desparately needed income to help in the support of their families.

6 New York, N.Y.’s Evening World (17th July 1891). 7 New York, N.Y.’s The Press (22nd March 1896). 8 Sydney’s Australian Star (29th April 1892).

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Most current art historians would probably disagree that between the late-19th and early-20th centuries (between 1890s and 1910s), contemporary women artists in Australia were well-known and generally respected by the art loving public and even a segment of the art establishment, but an analysis of the print media and records of the period supports: (1) Women outnumbered men at the professional art schools9 and were always featured in the awarding of art prizes for drawing and painting across all the various subjects. National Gallery of Victoria School’ Enrollments (1890 - 1940) © Lucy F. Lesley Year 1890 1895 1900 1905 1910 1915 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 Females 120 89 86 93 90 74 64 98 110 66 69 Male 58 41 34 44 77 37 56 48 97 82 55 [148] Jessie Emily Scarvell [1862-1950] RATIO 2 : 1 2.2 : 1 2.5 : 1 2.1 : 1 1.2 : 1 2 : 1 1.1 : 1 2 : 1 1.3 : 1 0.8 : 1 1.3 : 1 Sheep Grazing, Mount Coolangatta (2) The female membership of the major mixed-gender art societies10 was proportional to male Background, (Shoalhaven) N.S.W. artists and women were included as members of the Society’s Council and Exhibition 1895; oil on canvas; 30.0 x 50.5 cm; Committees. signed: “ J.E. Scarvell 1895 ” (lower right). (3) In 1893, ’The Painting Club’ was established in Sydney, the first Australian art society Provenance exclusively for women artists. In 1902, the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors and in 1910, Sydney’s Society of Women Painters were founded as an outgrowth COLLECTION: 1895-2006 artist and by descent of the various versions of the Painting Clubs in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. through family before gifted to AGNSW; Purchased: 2006 from Badgery’s. (4) Contemporary art critics gave proportional coverage of women artists at mixed-gender art exhibitions and because of exclusive women art societies, women artists received a highly Jessie Scarvell was a student of William Lister Lister, as disproportionate overall coverage in newspapers. was Sophie Steffanoni, and was closely associated with Edith E. and Aline M. Cusack, Alice J. Muskett and Ethel (5) The Art Gallery of NSW purchased artworks by both Australian women and male artists, A. Stephens. Throughout the mid to late 1890s, Scarvell’s though in dollar value and numbers male artists were favoured. The National Gallery of impressionist landscapes were greatly admired. While Victoria was less receptive to women artists, but generally were also less receptive to these works owed a great deal in their composition to Australian artists as a group, especially the purchasing of art by the heavily funded Felton Lister Lister, her style and impressionistic handling of Bequest. It should be noted that during the 1940s and 1950s, a number of the paintings colour and brushwork is likely to have been influenced by purchased from women artist in the late-19th and early-20th centuries were deaccessioned Streeton and Roberts who were painting and exhibiting in and sold; others can no longer be located. While paintings by women artists had been on Sydney while she was developing her style. It is also likely display in the art galleries for years after acquisition, over the years the display of paintings that Edith E. Cusack provided French Impressionists by pre-modernist women artists has diminished. While the Art Gallery of NSW increases its influences when she returned in 1894 after studying in number of artworks by Streeton (82 works), Roberts (96 works) and Conder (58 works), it Paris for three years. still ignores Australia’s Women Impressionists.11

9 Including National Gallery of Victoria and Art Society of NSW’s Schools, Sydney Technical College, East Sydney Technical College (later National Art School), etc. 10 Art Society of NSW (later Royal Art Society), Victorian Artists Society, Queensland Art Society, South Australian Art Society, Tasmanian Art Society and Western Australian Art Society were between 40-60 percent women members in most years. 11 From 1894, Jessie Scarvell’s The Lonely Margin of the Sea had been on display in the Australian Court of the Art Gallery of NSW for more than 100 years, but in mid-1990s, it was removed from display ‘for cleaning’ and has not been returned. In early-2000s, the family of Jessie Scarvell donated more than a dozen 1890s impressionistic oil paintings by Jessie Scarvell; these were deaccessioned and sold in 2006. After a cache of impressionist works by Sophie Steffanoni was discovered by her family in the 1980s and after a selection was exhibited at the Art Gallery of NSW, the Gallery failed to acquire any examples for its collection.

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Women Artists Band Together {WIP} While women artists were generally well-known and respected in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, they were not on an equal footing with their male colleagues. Victorian social norms were an on-going challenge. Women were restricted on where they could visit and in many cases were required to be in a group and/or chaperoned by a responsible guardian (who typically needed to be male). For women artists, attending artist ‘smoke nights’ and other Bohemian activities were off-limits to women of good reputation. In order to paint en plein air, women typically needed to sketch and paint in a group, preferably with sufficient male colleagues to ‘supervise and protect them’. While visiting the artists’ camps was acceptable if properly chaperoned, staying late or overnight was not acceptable unless the artists’ camp was exclusively women who were properly chaperoned and protected. In 1882, the Married Women’s Property Bill was enacted, entitling “a married woman the right to acquire, hold, and dispose of any real or personal property as her separate possession as [115] Aline M. Cusack [1867-1949] if she were a femme sole.” This was a breakthrough because women artists were legally able to Still-Life - Fuchsia, Plums & Grapes not only own property, but also earn an income which they could utilize as they saw fit. While many chauvinist art historians persist in promoting the misconception that the majority of women artists circa 1900; watercolour; 27.0 x 36.0 cm; signed: “ A Cusack ” (lower left). only survived through the financial support of their families and husbands, thorough analysis reveals that many of the married women artists not only had their own incomes but received little PROVENANCE or no support from their husbands who were often absent. While especially wealthy families PURCHASED: 2000 from private collector. supported not only their daughters but also sons, during the economic depression of the 1890s, Though all but forgotten today, between 1890s and women artists generally needed to earn a living to support themselves and help provide for their 1930s, Aline M. and Edith E. Cusack were two of Sydney’s leading women artists who possessed extended families. impeccable artistic credentials. Edith initially studied with In the mid-1850s, the Society of Women Artists was founded in London and in 1881, the Joseph Bennett while also being his assistant before Union of Women Painters and Sculptors (Union des Femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs) was continuing her artistic studies in Paris at Académie Julien founded in Paris by sculptor-educator Hélène Bertaux (a.k.a. Madame Leon Bertaux) to promote (1891-1894; 1904) and in 1904 in London where she and assist female artists. These early exclusively female art associations held their own exhibitions studied miniature painting and received her Teaching and promoted a feminist agenda, including the promotion of art education to women who at the Certificate from London’s Royal Drawing Society. Aline also initially studied and was assistant art teacher for time were restricted from attending the major government funded art schools. 12 Joseph Bennett before studying under Gordon Coutts and In 1893, ‘The Painting Club’ was established in Sydney, the first Australian art society at London’s School of Animal Painting (1906-1907) under exclusively for women artists which followed similar societies established in the United Kingdom Frank Calderon [1865-1943]. In the 1890s, the Cusack and Europe. The membership of The Painting Club included Lilla Creed, Edith E. and Aline M. sisters were members of The Painting Club and Cusack, Elsie M. Deane (Mrs William H. Norton), Florence Greaves, Alice J. Muskett, Alice E. throughout their careers were prominent members of the Norton (Mrs F.A.Q. Stephens), Jessie E. Scarvell (Mrs Charles W. Bundock), Ethel A. Stephens Royal Art Society, serving on its Council and Exhibition and Helen Willis. Meetings and exhibitions were held at Ecclesbourne (Double Bay), home of Committees. In 1910, Aline Cusack and Lady Chelmsford founded the Society of Women Painters, its membership James and Isabella Norton, the parents of Alice E. Norton. including virtually every women artist of note who painted and exhibited in Sydney.

12 The Painting Club’s regulations are held in the Mitchell Library (Q759.29/P).

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The Painting Club may have been established in response to the Art Society of NSW’s Brush Club [1888-1897] that included Julian R. Ashton, Albert Henry Fullwood, Livingston Hopkins, Henry S. Hopwood (British watercolourist), George W. Lambert, William Lister Lister, Sydney Long, Frank P. Mahony, G.V.F. Mann, Benjamin E. Minns, David H. Souter, Percy Spence, David G. Reid, John W. Tristram, John S. Watkins and others; Marion Eliza Drewe (a.k.a. Drew) allegedly being the only lady of the nearly 100 artist membership. After the split between the Royal Art Society and Society of Artists, the Brush Club faded and was finally wound up in November 1897. In 1910, Society of Women Painters [1910-1934] were founded in Sydney by Lady Chelmsford and Aline M. Cusack as an outgrowth of the various versions of the Painting Clubs in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. In the mid-1930s, the Society of Women Painters evolved into the Women’s Industrial Art Society [1935-1937], to encourage women artists more closely aligned with graphic arts and the arts & crafts movement in Australia. In 1902, the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors [1902-present]13 was established, initially as the National Gallery of Victoria School’s Student Art Club; from 1905, Woomballano Art Club; from 1913, The Women’s Art Club; and from 1930, Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors. Through its history, its membership has included almost every Australian women artist working or exhibiting in Melbourne, including Alice M. Bale, Lina Bryans, Ola Cohn, Amalie Colquhoun, Sybil Craig, Peggie Crombie, Janet Cumbrae Stewart, Ethel Carrick Fox, Dora Hake (Mrs Serle), Maidie McGowan, Anne Montgomery, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Helen Ogilvie, Ada May Plante, Clara Southern, Violet Teague, Dora Wilson, Isabel Hunter Tweddle, Marjorie Woolcock, and others. In addition to being exclusively for women, these art societies were hot beds of initially Australian Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, but later Modernist Art Movements. Many the early members were plein air painters who have been identified with the Heidelberg School or at [154] Jessie C.A. Traill [1881-1967] least Australian Impressionism. The interest in the decorative arts at the opening of the 20th century attracted other members who were well-known craftspeople. The Melbourne Society was Harbour at Rouen less overtly feminist than its counterpart in Sydney, which was founded as a reaction to the (Normandy, France) discrimination of male-dominated juries of art institutions and societies. During the World Wars, circa 1919; pastel; 34.0 x 23.0 cm; the Women Art Societies performed significant services to the war efforts, raising money and inscribed: {reverse side}. goods for soldiers, and providing entertainment and care for returned servicemen, especially the PROVENANCE wounded. During the World Wars, many of Australia’s women artists served as VAD nurses and PAINTED: circa 1919 after World War I and Jessie volunteers in Europe, including Aline M. and Edith E. Cusack, Bessie Davidson, Isobel Dorothy Traill’s release from her VAD nursing appointment in Rouen; Joyce Dennys, Norah Gurdon, Dora Ohlfsen, Maude Poynter, Louise Blanche Riggall (died during COLLECTION: Traill family; shelling of hospital), Norma Maria Rolland and Jessie C.A. Traill. PURCHASED: circa 1993 from Leonard Joel’s.

13 More Than Just Gumtrees, a publication by Juliette Peers, tells the story of the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptures and its members’ achievements. Issues of the workplace, family and art commitments, economic survival of artists, migrant artists and prejudice against women are also explored. An intimate picture of women’s art in Melbourne from the plein air and craft movements at the turn of the century, through tonalism, modernism, the second world war and 1950s domesticity to realist, traditional and contemporary artists of the present day. Biographies of over 300 artists, with individual exhibition lists, representation in public collections and further sources form a valuable reference for both general and specialist readers and researchers, dealers and libraries.

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WHY WERE AUSTRALIA’S WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS ‘ FORGOTTEN ’ ? {WIP} Between the 1930s and 1960s, Australia’s women artists were increasingly marginalized in art history and curated art exhibitions until the ‘awakening of the 1970s’. The 1970s witnessed a major shift in the status of women, which led to more women artists being included in exhibitions, as well as art histories authored from a feminist perspective. In January 1971, Linda Nochlin’s provocative essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” first appeared in the American publication Art News, and it found a receptive audience among Australian artists, art historians and junior curators. At the time, it was a popular belief that “woman cannot create; they can only imitate”. In 1903, an Adelaide journal summed up this common belief. “A hard, crabbed man of science takes special delight in pointing out that women cannot create; they can only imitate. The exceptions to this dictum only prove the rule. There have been no great women poets, artists, musicians, or scientists to be mentioned in the same breath with men who have excelled in those branches. But he allows that in the domain of social science woman's work is not only equal, but much superior to man’s. Beneficent societies, refuges, and similar institutions owe [123] Elaine Alys Haxton [1909-1999] most of what they have and are to the providential care of women. He expects them to pursue this particular line of activity. He says that with this as a fulcrum, and public opinion as a lever, they may Pittwater Idyll reform all the abuses of social administration, and recast mankind in the moulds of their own Oil on canvas; circa 1960; 75.0 x 100.0 cm; ideals.”14 signed: {on boatshed wall}.

As part of the wider feminist movement of the 1970s, women artists, art historians and PROVENANCE curators began the slow process of recovering the ‘forgotten’ biographies and histories of PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. Australia’s women artists. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, the focus was placed on the importance of Australian’s women artists in the development of modernism in Australia. During While not known as a landscape painter, the bright Post- the same period, Australia’s Women Impressionists were barely mentioned and generally out-of- Impressionistic, Pittwater Idyll was painted from her sight and out-of-mind. Sydney home at Clareville overlooking the Pittwater Prior to 1990s, Australia’s Women Impressionists of the late-19th and early-20th centuries had towards Longnose Point. Elaine Haxton was a leading been ‘forgotten’ or at least marginalized in art publications and major retrospective exhibitions. member of what was derisively named the "Charm One interesting fact about the narrative relating to Australian Impressionism is that while School" of Sydney painters in the 1940s and 1950s, her Australia’s marginalized women artist barely earn a passing comment, the marginalized male artwork being always agreeable to view. In addition to artists like Louis Abrahams, Aby Altson, Herbert J. Daly, Alfred J. Daplyn, David Davies, Roger E. painting, drawing and printmaking, she studied theatre Fall, Tom Humphries, Leon Pole, George Walton and others receive a disproportion volume of design in the United States at end-1930s and visited column inches when compared to their sister-artists. Mexico before returning Sydney. In 1943, she was In 1933, William Moore published The Story of Australian Art in two volumes of about 500 awarded the Summit Prize for her mural at Kings Cross’s pages. In addition to the narrative text, Moore records nearly 350 short artist biographies of which Coq d'Or Restaurant. Afterward, she dabbled in textile nearly 40 are women. However, many more women artists are mentioned in the text, providing a design with Sidney Nolan and William Dobell, abstract start for any researcher interested in women artists. In the 20 pages that discuss Australian painting influenced by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and studied Impressionism, Ursula Foster, Ina Gregory, Henrietta Irving, Bertha Merfield and Violet Teague printmaking in Japan. Haxton travelled widely under the sponsorship of Qantas and was included in the Order of are either commentators or students of E. Phillips Fox’s Summer School at Charterisville. Also Australia. mentioned in passing are Clara Southern, Jane Sutherland and Jo Sweatman. In all honesty, a number of other women impressionists are mentioned, but in regard to other artistic matters.

14 Adelaide Express and Telegraph (19th September 1903).

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In 1969, Alan McCulloch published The Golden Age of Australian Painting: Impressionism and the Heidelberg School, which in almost 200 pages documents 132 paintings by 16 Australian artists of whom none are women. More than 50 Australian artists are discussed, women being almost exclusively mentioned as wives, family members or subjects in paintings. Australia’s women impressionists are exclusively covered in the following single sentence “The Eaglemont ideals received warm support also from painters such as Jane Price, Jane Sutherland and Clara Southern, all of whom produced Impressionistic paintings whose colour and brushwork reflect much of the charm of the work of their teacher Frederick McCubbin in addition to their own feminine individuality.” In 1985-1986, the Golden Summers: Heidelberg and Beyond exhibition toured Australia and its 200-page catalogue by Jane Clark and Bridget Whitelaw was published in 1985. It contained 37 artists biographies, with only five for women (Florence Ada Fuller, Ina Gregory, Constance Roth, Clara Southern and Jane Sutherland). There were more than 175 illustrations, only 7 by the above-mentioned Australian women impressionists. In 1989, Sunlight and Shadow: Australian Impressionist Painters 1880-1900 was published by Leigh Astbury. Of the 159 paintings illustrated only 10 were painted by Australian [113] Janet Cumbrae Stewart [1883-1960] women, half being landscapes. However, within the more than 200 pages of narrative, women artists receive barely a mention in a passing comment, the exception being the narrative about Pensive flower and still-life painting, the message being that this was “women’s work”, but occasionally a circa 1906; oil on canvas on board; subject for men. 61.0 x 48.0 cm; In 1992, Helen Topliss published The Artists’ Camps: ‘Plein Air Painting in Australia. She inscribed: in pencil {verso}. highlights how the art journals and historians presented a highly distorted emphasis of who was PROVENANCE an Australian impressionist. Between 1916 and 1941, Art in Australia had 60 entries for Arthur PAINTED: circa 1906 while studying at NGV Streeton, 9 for Tom Roberts and 10 for E. Phillips Fox, but only 2 for Frederick McCubbin and School under Fred McCubbin and Bernard Hall; none for Tom Humphrey, John Mather, Tudor St George Tucker, Walter Withers and Jane COLLECTION: until 1961 studio of artist; Sutherland, in fact none for any Australian women impressionists or lesser-known male PURCHASED: 1961 from Private Collector who acquired painting in 1961 from estate auction of impressionists. What is really tragic is that most of Australia’s impressionist painters were still Cumbrae Stewart’s studio contents; living, painting and exhibiting at the time Art in Australia was published; firsthand accounts were PURCHASED: 1994 from Gray’s. available, but of little interest to contemporary art historians. Between 1963 and 1973, Art and Australia didn’t broaden its heroes of Australian Impressionism with 14 entries for Streeton, 19 While Alan McCulloch mentions Jane R. Price, Clara for Roberts, 7 for McCubbin, 1 each of Tucker and Withers, and still none for the other lesser- Southern and Jane Sutherland, he could have easily also mentioned more than a dozen other Australian women known male and women impressionists. What is truly tragic is that Australian Impressionism was impressionists who studied at the National Gallery of presented as a ‘Heidelberg’ (at least Melbourne) art movement, Sydney and the other capital cities Victoria School under Frederick McCubbin, Bernard Hall and their artists barely receiving a mention when the story of Australian Impressionism was and George Follingsby, including C. Asquith Baker, Alice narrated. Topliss not only documented the artists’ camps around Melbourne, but also Sydney and M. Bale, Janet Cumbrae Stewart, Portia Geach, Ina even Perth is briefly covered. What is even more important is that Topliss illustrates and describes Gregory, Elsie Hake, Constance L. Jenkins, Dora almost 165 impressionist paintings, of which 20 are by women artists (Alice M. Bale, Florence A. Meeson, Emily Meston, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Jessie C.A. Fuller, Ina Gregory, Malvina Manton, Jane R. Price, Lilla Reidy, Clara Southern, Jane Sutherland Traill, May Vale, Janie W. Whyte and Dora Wilson. There and May Vale). In addition to including women impressionists working primarily in and around is little doubt that the Gallery School and McCubbin had a significant influence on Victoria’s women impressionists. Melbourne, Topliss also included a good selection of lesser-known male impressionists.

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ARGUMENTS FOR THE ‘ FORGOTTEN ’ AUSTRALIAN WOMEN IMPRESSIONISTS {WIP} AUSTRALIAN WOMEN ARTISTS When the question “Why were Australia’s Women Impressionist forgotten?” is discussed, the STUDYING, WORKING AND LIVING OVERSEAS following points are inevitably raised: WOMEN FROM 1890 IMPRESSIONIST UK-EUROPE OTHER ➢ In Australia, the women impressionists didn’t undertake serious art training and when C. Asquith Baker 1903-06; 1912-14 they did, the women artists didn’t stand out among the male students ! { FALSE } Janet Cumbrae 1922-37 It is estimated that Australia’s formal art training institutions like the National Gallery of Victoria Stewart School, the Schools of Design and Technical Colleges, etc had enrollment made up of at least Aline M. Cusack 1905-08; 1914-20; two-third women. Artists like Streeton, Roberts, Conder, etc were surrounded by female artists 1925-26 who had the same instructors and received the same instruction and criticism. At art competitions, Edith E. Cusack 1891-94; 1903-05; the women artists fared as well as the men and often received proportionally more prizes. Between 1914-20; 1925-26 1887 and 1907, the National Gallery of Victoria’s School’s Travelling Scholarship (3-years study Bessie Davidson 1903-06; 1912-14; in Europe) was won by male artists, with women artists often being in the top three runners-up. 1914-45; 1946-65 Between 1908 and 1935, it was awarded every consecutive year to women artists. The credentials of the First and Second Tier Australian Women Impressionists favourably compare with their Marion Eliza Drewe USA (1901-50) brother-artists. Florence A. Fuller 1892-1901; 1903- South Africa (1898- 04; 1909-1914 1900); India (1908- ➢ Australia’s Women Impressionists tended to not travel overseas to further their artistic 09; 14); Java (1915) studies and careers. { FALSE } Portia S. Geach 1896-1901; 1907- USA (1910; 1920-22; 10; 1922; 1923-26 1924 & 1925-27) In recent years as research has been conducted on Australia’s women artists, it has become clear that a large number of them furthered their artistic training in the academies in Paris and the Bessie Gibson 1901-03; 1905-39 art schools in and around London, Rome and other European capitals. In 1855, Sydney-born artist Agnes Goodsir 1900-39 Adelaide Ironside was allegedly the first Australian women artist to travel overseas to further her Eleanor Richie 1876-83; 1885-89 USA ( 1883-85; artistic studies and was one of the earliest Australian-born artists to travel overseas to study art. Harrison 1894-95 ) Of the more than 30 marginalized Australian women artists documented in the Dictionary of Constance Jenkins 1909-12 1912-61 Biography (at end of the book) more than 60% travelled overseas to further their artistic training and careers. Between 1880 and 1930, I have recorded more than 75 Australian women artists Grace Joel 1899-1924 NZ (1894-99) studying in Paris and there are others studying in London, Rome and other European artistic Dora Meeson 1897-20; 1922-55 centres. These women often exhibited at Paris’s Salons, London’s Royal Academy and other Josephine 1890-96 prestigious art exhibition venues. Muntz-Adams In fact, one of the reasons Australia’s women artists were ‘forgotten’ is because they spent too Alice J. Muskett 1895-98; 1910-11; much time overseas and not enough time in Australia; this also being a challenge for some of the 1914-19 marginalized male artists. Between 1890 and 1920, Women Impressionists like C. Asquith Baker, Hilda Rix Nicholas 1907-18; 1924-26 Edith E. and Aline M. Cusack, Bessie Davidson, Florence Ada Fuller, Bessie Gibson, Agnes Goodsir, Eleanor Richie Harrison, Constance Jenkins, Grace Joel, Dora Meeson, Josephine Kathleen O’Connor 1907-50 Muntz-Adams, Alice J. Muskett, Kathleen O’Connor, Iso Rae, Hilda Rix Nicholas, Constance Roth Iso Rae 1887-1940 and Marie Tuck spent large amounts of time overseas. For the most part, the details of the Constance Roth 1892-95 South Africa overseas study and exhibiting were reported in Australia’s newspapers, but not sufficiently to (1895-1928) overcome the proverb “Out of sight - Out of mind!” Like “Australia’s Lost Impressionist” John Peter Marie Tuck 1906-1919 Russell, Hilda Rix Nicholas and Kathleen O’Connor, and to a lesser extent Bessie Davidson, Bessie Gibson, Agnes Goodsir and Iso Rae have been ‘rediscovered’. NOTE: Underlined date indicates year of death.

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➢ The late-19th and early-20th century women artists weren’t professional artists but were primarily amateurs who painted for the sheer joy of drawing and painting, and at best ‘to earn pin money’ from their efforts! This was okay because they were typically supported by their fathers or husbands! { FALSE } Of the more than 30 marginalised Australian women artists documented in the Dictionary of Biography (at end of Book), nearly 80% were professional artists, 70% of whom required the income to support their families and/or themselves. About 80% are single or have absent or non- supporting husbands and/or fathers.

➢ Australia’s women artists failed to create a substantial body of artworks, which could withstand the test of time ! { FALSE } From an analysis of exhibition catalogues, the Australian women Impressionists who were professional artists and painted substantial bodies of artwork (typically more than 100 paintings [127] Ellen Adye Hume [1862-1933] and often several hundred exhibited artworks) that were exhibited at art society group exhibitions and often solo or joint exhibitions. This raises the question of where are all these paintings? Some Walk along the Rocks haven’t survived the century since their creation, but there should still be a significant body of work a.k.a. Cremorne Point, Sydney Harbour for artists like the Cusack sisters who created hundreds of painting that were exhibited in Sydney. circa early-1900s; oil on canvas board; Yet, only a few have appeared for sale, the same applying to marginalised professional male 39.0 x 49.0 cm; artists. This is an on-going mystery. signed: “ E.A. Hume ” (lower left). ➢ The period’s social norms didn’t allow the women to put themselves forward with the PROVENANCE men, and therefore were seldom reviewed or left an historic ‘footprint’ which kept them PURCHASED: 1995 from private collector. in the public’s eyes and minds ! { FALSE } On 18th August 1882, Ellen A. Jenkins married Edward An analysis of TROVE digitized database of Australian newspaper articles reveals that Barber Hume [1852-1903], Frankfield station owner and between 1890s and 1930s, Australian women artists received at least equal and because of son of Francis R. and Emma Hume, the couple having specialist women art societies undoubtedly more coverage than their brother-artists across all tiers three children, one dying as an infant. Her husband was of recognitions. An analysis of group exhibition catalogues reveals that women artists exhibited at a direct descendent of Stuart Hamilton Hume, the least equal numbers of paintings as male artists and because of women art societies are likely to Australian explorer and the Hume family was financially have exhibited more than their brother-artists. While there are a few examples where fathers well-off. In 1890, Ellen Adye Hume filed for divorce, stopped their daughters from exhibiting and selling their artworks (see Jessie L Evans), this was cruelty being the cause, the court assigning her £250 per the except and not the rule. Especially during the economic depressions of the 1890s and 1930s, year alimony. After the divorce, the husband sold the any additional income was gratefully received by extended families. family’s historic sheep station and retired to a Sydney pub ➢ While women artists were allowed to attend art classes and exhibit, social conventions where he proceeded to drink away his inheritance in hope did not allowed women to attend and network at the art societies’ and other arts- of leaving his wife destitute. Sadly, divorce, abandonment oriented clubs’ converzationes (often involved musical programme or entertainment or mutually agreed upon separation were all too common (including lightning sketches, demonstrations, etc), food and refreshments, and among Australia’s women artists. In many cases, the discussion-conversations), social nights and ‘smokers’! {FALSE} women artists not only had to support themselves but also their children and extended family. After the economic While women did not typically attend gatherings where the men tended to drink too much, they depression of the 1890s, many families that had been did attend art society converzationes and social functions, often being involved in the organization well-off were struggling and any additional income was and acting as hostesses. As early as the late-1880s, women artists were admitted to clubs like the welcome. Painting and teaching art were higher income Buonarotti Club that was made up of journalists-writers, musicians and artists. Jane Price was a professions that many others commonly available to member by late-1880s and Clara Southern and Jane Sutherland were members by early-1890s. women.

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➢ Their paintings weren’t collected by major art establishments, so there is nowhere their work can be seen, re-assessed and appreciated by current generations ! { FALSE } I have spent significant time looking for artworks that were reported in historic newspapers as being purchased or presented to public collections, but that cannot be located today. There are a number of explanations, including during the past century, art administrators have deaccessioned and sold paintings, especially by women artists because they were unimportant based on contemporary art history. Another reason is because, the painting has been mis-catalogued, and its present location is unknown. Another reason is because paintings have simply been lost. All these reasons are tragic and art administrators do not like to discuss the possibilities. ➢ The women artists primarily painted flower studies and still-lifes or portraits of family and friends, instead of landscapes, genre and life subjects, so loved by informed art lovers ! { FALSE } While women artists probably did create proportionally more flower studies and still-lifes than their brother-artists, woman artists and especially women impressionists painted large numbers of plein air landscapes, domestic-theatrical interior-exteriors, portraits-life studies and genre paintings. An analysis of exhibition catalogues confirms this. [160] Dora L. Wilson [1882-1946] ➢ Women artists weren’t allowed to stay overnight in artists’ camps and were restricted Bush Scene to short day trips to easily accessible locations ! { FALSE } a.k.a. Artists’ Camp, Warrandyte While it is true that social conventions of the late-19th and early-20th centuries forbade women circa 1910; oil on board; 39.0 x 29.5cm; from staying overnight at the male-artists’ camps, Australia’s women impressionist are known to signed: “ Dora L. Wilson ” (lower left). have banned together and created their own country art studios-accommodation and artists’ camps. (see section on Artists Camps). Warrandyte is a hill district 15 kilometers east of [134] Emily Meston [1866-1914] Eaglemont-Heidelberg with its northern boundary being Roses the Upper Yarra River. In the early-20th century, 1893; oil on canvas; 32.0 x 57.0 cm; Warrandyte became a popular destination for en plein air signed: “ E. Meston ” (lower right). artists who sought bushland not threatened by the encroached by urban development. Artists’ camp and PROVENANCE small colonies of artists centered on old homesteads EXHIBITED: 1893 Royal Art Society; developed and artists including Clara Southern, Jo PURCHASED: 2008 from Bonham’s. Sweatman, Walter Withers, Arthur M. and Emma M. Emily Meston was primarily a portrait painter Boyd, Penleigh Boyd, Frank Crozier, Harold Herbert, (including full-length representations) whose subjects Louis McCubbin and other artists had country homes and included prominent politicians and academics, but it studios frequented by other artists on weekends and for was her still-lifes of flowers that garnished the short stays. greatest attention. Even though Meston was a more significant portrait painter than a painter of still-lifes, the Art Gallery of NSW rarely acquired large oil portraits by women, preferring small still-life studies which conformed to the ‘decorative’ stereotype attached to 'women’s art'. When Meston’s Portrait of Rev G McInnes was shown alongside her Study of Grapes at the 1895 inaugural exhibition of the Society of Artists, it was called “the strongest portrait, so far as The Bulletin knows, yet painted in Australia by a woman”. However, the Trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW purchased Study of Grapes instead.

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15 INFLUENCES ON AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISM {EXCERPT} More than any other group of painters, Australia’s artists were influenced by global art movements and international artists, especially in the development of the School of Australian Impressionism. There is no doubt that French Impressionism had the greatest influence on Australian impressionists, but it would be lacks to ignore the pull exerted by contact with other international art movements, artists and their paintings. Far more Australian artists studied, lived and travelled through Europe and other foreign lands than is recorded in art history tomes. Numerous foreign artists settled in Australia or stayed for a time passing on their knowledge and influences either directly or through their exhibited artworks. Impressionism was seldom formally taught in art academies or by art teachers. It spread primarily through exposure: ✓ artists experimenting with the artistic style and techniques after viewing impressionistic artworks (this was most likely the greatest disseminator); [185] William Lister Lister [1859-1943] ✓ listening to or reading a narrative or critique about impressionist concepts or techniques; “ In the Shadows (Lane Cove) ” and/or circa 1893; oil on board; 34.5 x 44.5 cm; ✓ paying attention to an impressionist painter as he/she went about creating an impressionistic signed: “ W. Lister Lister ” (lower left). artwork. Provenance PAINTED: circa 1893 and shows the influence of Australian Impressionism was never a homogenous artistic style, the artworks of Tom Roberts Australia's pioneer impressionists, who were would never be mistaken for works by Arthur Streeton whose artworks would never be mistaken painting in Sydney at the time. for Charles Conder. Each Australian impressionist adopted his/her own variation in colouration, Collection: Lynette Young, 13 Chastleton brushwork, composition, and preferred subject matter. While artworks by Roberts, Streeton and Avenue, Toorak; Conder may be the most expensive on the world’s art market, this doesn’t make impressionistic PURCHASED: 1994 from Lawson’s. artworks by lesser-known Australian Impressionists less historically important or artistically William Lister Lister was best known for his large valuable. traditional landscapes in oil and watercolours. Between While French Impressionism is at the root of Australia’s Impressionism, there was also 1898 and 1940, he was 13 times a finalist in the Art substantial influences from American, Italian and Scottish Impressionists. Especially in France, Gallery of NSW’s prestigious Wynne Prize for Landscape, Australia’s artists were drawn to American painters who were living and/or working in France and winning a record 7 times. While he generally didn’t exhibit impressionistic paintings, Lister commented to a journalist the United Kingdom. The Australian and American artists shared a more common lifestyle than “When Streeton and Roberts were camped at Sirius the Australian and British painters. Cove, all the Sydney artists adopted an While an artist may be categorized as being an Australian Impressionist, this does not mean impressionistic technique for a time.” that they always painted in an impressionistic style. Artists throughout their careers often changed Lister Lister taught large classes for landscape painting, their artistic styles and painted in different styles during a specific period of time or on a particular including Jessie Scarvell and Sophie Steffanoni and took more than a dozen lady students to Freshwater Beach, occasion. and other sketching places. Before returning to Australia in 1888, Lister Lister had direct contact with the Scottish impressionists associated with the Glasgow Boys.

15 This a merely a summary of a much more detailed narrative about foreign influences on Australian Impressionism.

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INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISM {WIP} The external influences on Australian Impressionism are much more diverse than art tomes currently document. While the influences on Roberts, Streeton and Conder are well documented, other Australian artists also were influential in developing the “Australian School of Impressionism”. The following are international art movements (alphabetic order) and artists that directly affected Australia’s Impressionists and the Australian artists and visitors to Australia who were directly influenced by this contact.

➢ AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM: especially Frederick Carl Frieseke [1874-1939], Thomas Alexander [1853-1930] and Lovell Birge Harrison, Robert Henri [1865-1929], Maurice Prendergast [1858-1924], John Singer Sargent [1876-1925], Henry Ossawa Tanner [1859- 1937] and James McNeill Whistler [1834-1903].

AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS:16 Charles Conder [1868-1909], Portia Geach [1873-1959], E. Phillips Fox [1865-1915], Constance Lillian Jenkins [1883-1961; Mrs Eric Spencer Macky], Lovell Birge [1854-1929] and Eleanor Ritchie [1854-1895; nee Henderson] Harrison, Mortimer Luddington Menpes [1855-1938], Iso Rae [1860-1940], Hugh Ramsay [1877- 1906], Tom Roberts [1856-1931] and Arthur Streeton [1867-1943].17

[129] Constance L. Jenkins [1883-1961] ➢ ENGLISH IMPRESSIONISM: especially Frank Brangwyn [1867-1956], George Clausen The Jade Dog [1852-1944], Stanhope Alexander Forbes [1857-1947], Sir Alfred James Munnings [1878- a.k.a. Lady with Jade Dragon 1959], Theodore Roussel [1847-1926], Walter Sickert [1860-1942], Sidney Starr [1857-1925], 1910; oil on canvas; 91.0 x 72.0 cm; Phillip Walter Steer [1860-1942] and Henry Scott Tuke [1858-1929]. signed: “ Constance Jenkins ’10 ” (lower right). PROVENANCE AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: Josephine Muntz Adams [1862-1949], Rupert Bunny [1864-1947], PURCHASED: 1995 from Sotheby’s. Portia Geach [1873-1959], Dora Hake [1875-1968; Mrs Serle], Dora Meeson [1869-1955; In 1907, Constance L. Jenkins was awarded the Gold and Mrs George Coates], Mortimer Luddington Menpes, Charles D. Richardson [1853-1932], Silver Medals for Figure Painting at the Exhibition of Violet Helen Evangeline Teague [1872-1951] and Jessie Constance Alicia Traill [1881- Women’s Work and the following year, became the first 1967]. women artist to be awarded the National Gallery of Victoria’s prestigious Travelling Scholarship. Between 1909 and 1912, she studied in Paris and during this time painted Lady with Jade Dragon. In late-1912, she travelled to San Francisco where she married fellow artist Eric Spencer Macky, the couple becoming leading American artists and art teachers in San Francisco.

16 Australian Contacts are Australian artists who came into direct (personal) contact with the foreign Impressionists either in Europe or in Australia and were therefore able to influence other Australian artists in the impressionistic precepts, techniques and characteristics of those artists. Undoubtedly there are other lesser known- documented intersections between Australian artists and international influencers. 17 Helene Barbara Weinber, American Impressionism & Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the MET, 2009; invaluable reference for sorting out the juncture between American – Australian and French impressionist influences.

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➢ FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM: { NUMEROUS } AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: Aby A. Altson [1867-1949], Julian Rossi Ashton [1851-1942], C. Asquith Baker [1868-1960], Joseph Bennett [1853-1929], Rupert Bunny, Gordon Coutts [1865-1937], Edith E. Cusack [1865-1937], Bessie Davidson [1879-1965], David Davies [1864-1939], Alfred J. Daplyn [1844-1926], E. Phillips and Ethel Carrick [1872-1952; nee Carrick] Fox, Florence Ada Fuller [1867-1946], Portia Geach, Bessie Gibson [1868-1961], Agnes Goodsir [1864-1939], Nora Gurdon [1881-1974], Constance Lillian Jenkins, Grace Joel [1865-1924], Artur Jose De Souza Loureiro [1853-1932], Dora Meeson, Josephine Muntz Adams, Hilda Rix Nicholas [1884-1961], James Peter Quinn [1869-1951], Ambrose McCarthy Patterson [1877-1966], Hugh Ramsay, Iso Rae, Tom Roberts [1856-1931], John Peter Russell [1858-1930], Jessie Constance Alicia Traill, Tudor St George Tucker [1862- 1906], May Vale [1861-1945] and Walter Withers [1854-1914].

➢ ITALIAN IMPRESSIONISM: especially Italian Macchiaioli School. [188] John Ford Paterson [1851-1912] AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: Joseph Bennett, Ugo Cantani [1859-1944], Girolamo Nerli [1860- “ Esplanade, St Kilda, 1893 ” 1926] and Charles Rolando [1844-1893]. 1893; oil on canvas; 39.5 x 49.5 cm; signed: “ J. Ford Paterson ” (lower right). ➢ NETHERLANDS IMPRESSIONISM: especially Vincent Van Gogh [1853-1890]. Provenance AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: John Peter Russell. PAINTED: 1893 and is likely to have been painted from J. Ford Paterson's frontyard at 256 ➢ SCANDINAVIAN IMPRESSIONISM: especially Finnish impressionists active circa 1910. Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda. AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: Bertha Elizabeth Merfield [1869-1921]. PURCHASED: 1996 from Leonard Joel’s In November 1884, J. Ford Paterson returned to ➢ SCOTTISH IMPRESSIONISM: especially the Glasgow Boys ( James Guthrie [1859-1930], Melbourne aboard the SS Aberdeen after ten years John Lavery [1856-1941], Arthur Melville [1855-1904], George Henry [1858-1943], James studying and painting in Scotland. After his return, he established a reputation as a plein air landscape painter, Paterson [1854–1932], E.A. Walton [1860-1942] and E.A. Hornell [1864-1943] ) and Scottish closely associated with the Heidelberg artists but closer in Colourists; closely related to French Impressionism (Scotland artists have always had a closer style to the Glasgow School, placing him among the affinity with the French than the English), but also strongly influenced by American James important art influencers of the late-19th and early-20th McNeill Whistler. centuries. Esplanade, St Kilda was likely to have been AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: GORDON COUTTS, WILLIAM LISTER LISTER [1859-1943], John Ford painted from Paterson's frontyard after he had designed Paterson [1851-1912], ANNE CONSTANCE ROTH [1859-1925; nee Jones] and Duncan and built his house at 256 Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda, MacGregor Whyte [1866-1953]. this residence becoming a popular meeting place for Australia's early impressionist artists. The colours are bolder and brighter than those used by Streeton and ➢ SPANISH-PORTUGUESE IMPRESSIONISM: especially Laureano Barrau [1863-1957] and Roberts, showing the influence of the Scottish Ramon Casas [1866-1932] via Tom Roberts and John Peter Russell; also historic influence of impressionists who in turn were closely aligned with the Diego Velázquez [1599–1660]. French Impressionists. J. Ford Paterson had painted with AUSTRALIAN CONTACTS: Bernard Hall [1859-1935], Artur Jose De Souza Loureiro, Tom the Glasgow Boys, who were Scotland’s leading impressionist group. Roberts and John Peter Russell.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPRESSIONIST PICTURES {EXTRACT} None of the following artistic characteristics were new; many had been popular for decades and even centuries. What was new was that the Impressionists used these techniques in combination shattering the sensibilities of the 19th century’s art establishment and critics who tended to dislike impressionistic pictures with a passion typically only reserved for nationalistic politics. ➢ Impressionist subjects tend to be ‘everyday images’ instead of historic, classical or religious subjects or events; Impressionist typically enhanced the compositions of the paintings with women and children, families and workers going about their mundane lives; ➢ Subjects are painted ‘directly from nature’ (i.e. directly from the subject) regardless of whether the portrayal is a landscape or cityscape, domestic or theatric interior-exterior, person or group, or element of a still-life; previously artists painted in their studios from sketches (or photographs) prepared from all or part of the subject; ➢ Outdoor subjects are painted ‘en plein air’ with the artist being present and directly experiencing the scenery, its total environment, atmosphere and mood; ➢ Impressionist pictures tend to be composed of a limited palette of vibrant bright colours or subdued moody colouration to create an atmosphere or capture the personality of the subject; instead of using blended colours with fine gradients; Impressionists tended to use ‘broken colour’ i.e. brushstrokes of a particular colour adjacent to brushstrokes of contrasting color that often are blended in the viewer’s mind’s eye to create the colour perceived by the viewer; often impressionists paintings were exhibited without being varnished, customarily used to tone down the vibrance of the picture; ➢ The academic rules of composition are often distorted leading to looser compositions that were of elongated on the horizontal or vertical plane; the focal point of many impressionist pictures [158] Janie Wilkinson Whyte [1869-1953] is found in an unexpected position within the composition; Children on Bush Path ➢ Impressionist paintings are almost always made up of visible rapid, spontaneous, short, loose 1903; oil on board; 34.0 x 24.0 cm; brushstrokes instead of the almost invisible brushwork of traditional painters; in particular signed: “ J.W. Whyte 1903 ” (lower right). Impressionists often worked with a square tipped (short or long flat hog hair) brush instead of PROVENANCE one with a fine point (round or rigger tipped sable) brushes; broad visible brushstrokes of colour PAINTED: 1903. are the forte of the Impressionists instead of the fine meticulously applied detail so loved by the art establishment of the 19th century; PURCHASED: 1995 from Leonard Joel’s. Jane W. Whyte painted landscapes, portraits, figure ➢ Impressionists favoured application of thick impasto paint (usually from a paint tube) applied studies and interiors in oils, watercolours and pastels. She with a flat hog hair brush or palette knife, instead of traditional thin paint films and glazes that was closely associated with Janet Cumbrae Stewart, had been popular since the Renaissance; Jessie C.A. Traill, May Vale and Dora Wilson. Like many ➢ The outlines of the Impressionist pictures often do not clearly define one object from another, impressionist artists, she almost always included figures achieved by applying paint wet on wet; this may create a foggy effect, adding a dreamy abstract in her landscapes, especially children and women, the costumes of the characters adding a splash of colour into mood to the painting; Impressionists often combined different stokes like visible, sharp, soft, the green, brown and blue scene. etc, together to give a light and shadow effect within their paintings.

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AUSTRALIA’S PLEIN AIR SKETCHING CLUBS AND TEACHERS [ FROM 1845 ] {WIP} Plein air painting of landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes is a cornerstone of Impressionist outdoor art, but not all plein air paintings are necessarily impressionistic. John Skinner Prout [1805-1896] has the honour of being the founder of plein air sketching clubs in Australia. After sketching around Sydney, in 1844, Prout settled in Hobart Town, where he promoted art through a number of subscription lectures on painting and formed sketching clubs to stimulate local amateur artists. He facilitated an extensive amateur sketching culture based on the Bristol Sketching Club of which he had been a member between 1832 and 1837 in England. In 1845, the Hobart Town Sketching Club was formed to follow the principles of plein air painting, and the Club not only embraced gentlemen but also ladies, including Louisa Anne Meredith, Ellen Burgess and Jeanie Louisa Stewart Dunn. In December 1845, the Club set out for a painting and sketching outing up the east coast of Van Dieman’s Land to St Mary’s Pass, the Fingal Valley and [116] Edith E. Cusack [1865-1941] Launceston.18 Before returning to England in 1848, Prout undertook sketching trips to record the Flower Market at St Andrew’s scenic spots of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales, encouraging local artists to follow his example and participate in sketching clubs. Cathedral, Sydney In the mid-1850s through early 1860s, there was a thriving sketching club in Sydney that had 1907; watercolour; 27.0 x 38.0 cm: been started by two professional artists (Conrad Martens [1801-1878] and Oswald Rose Campbell signed: “E.C.” (lower left; name indistinct on reverse). [1820-1887]) who were joined by a large group of gentlemen amateur artists. Groups visited scenic Provenance harbour, river and mountain locations, evening lectures were presented, and exhibitions were PURCHASED: 1996 from Australian Art Auctions. organised of the work produced, stimulating friendly criticism and discussion of the merits and In 1894, Edith E. Cusack returned to Sydney after faults to the benefit of the membership. In 1871, the Sydney School of Design was established to studying art in Paris and painting the French countryside. She immediately became one of Sydney’s leading artists provide art training and a Sketching Club was included. When the NSW Academy of Art was who also presented art classes and outdoor painting established in June 1871, it too included a Sketching Club.19 In 1886, Pilford Fletcher-Watson classes with her sister Aline M. Cusack. The Cusack established the Sketching Institute of New South Wales, which held outdoor daytime classes and sisters were popular with the art loving public, often sketching nights at his central Sydney studio. receiving prices for their paintings on par with the most well-known male artists. In 1906, Edith Cusack travelled The Adelaide Sketch Club was formed in early-1877 and consisted of primarily students from to Dubbo where she painted, especially pictures the South Australia School of Design. Later in the year, the Sandhurst Sketching Club was formed containing Aborigines, a subject seldom painted by in Bendigo and was associated with the Bendigo School of Mines. In January 1881, the students women or even men of the period. In 1894, Aline, a pastel of the Victorian Academy of Art established the Victoria Sketching Club [1881-1896], it being portrait of her sister, was purchased by the Art Gallery of notable because Fred McCubbin and Jane Sutherland [1853-1928] were foundation committee NSW, one of the earliest works by a women artist to be purchased by an Australian public collection. Edith and members. In Perth, the Wilgie Sketching Club was formed in 1889 and Brisbane started a sketch Aline Cusack were members of The Painting Club and club in the same year. Sketching Clubs were even started in many smaller communities and were early female Council members of the Royal Art continued to be popular into the 1930s.20 Society; Aline being instrumental in the establishment of Sydney’s Society of Women Painters.

18 Emma Colton, National Gallery of Australia, John Skinner Prout, accessed April 2018, https://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=171210 ; Hobart Courier (14th August 1847). 19 Sydney Morning Herald (7th February 1856; 21st July 1856; 18th November 1856; 5th May 1861; 16th May 1872); Sydney Evening News (2nd June 1871). 20 South Australian Register (12th July 1877); Bendigo Advertiser (22nd November 1877; 29th June 1878); Argus (15th October 1881); Western Australian (11th December 1889); Brisbane Courier (7th June 1889).

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The Victorian Sketching Club [1890-1902+] was typical, being established for “persons interested in sketching from nature” … “object to promote the good fellowship among students, members and lovers of art” and “holding of sketching parties” and later “holding exhibitions of produced pictures”. For the most part, the membership was made up of professional and amateur artists and art students, many with noteworthy talent. By October, the Club had more than 50 members of which a significant number were young women. In the first six months, the Club had organized 16 outings to scenic locations around Melbourne that were well attended by members executing not only sketches, but paintings in oils, watercolours and pastels; in its first 14 months, it had organised 63 outings with an average attendance of 14 participants. In December 1890, the Club conducted its first coversazione at the Buxton’s Gallery on Swanson Street with more than 70 interested attendees. In addition to an inspection of the more than 100 pictures produced by members directly from nature, there was a musical programme presented with coffee and food being available during intermissions. The Club held highly successful exhibitions in December of each year and [NAS] Ambrose S. Griffin [1912-1981] in 1895 also commenced holding exhibitions at the monthly meetings.21 One of the spinoffs of the thriving plein air sketching and painting movement was that it Homeward Bound encouraged art teachers to offer “Painting from Nature” and “Outdoor Painting” classes. This was Oil on canvas; 1950s; 70.0 x 90.0 cm; particularly true of women art teachers who were targeting the high percentage of young ladies signed:” Ambrose Griffin ” (lower right). and married women that formed the backbone of most of the sketching clubs. As early as 1835 in Provenance Sydney, Mademoiselle Dubost (active 1833-1852) from Paris offered classes to young ladies in Purchased: 1994 at Leonard Joel’s. “Drawing and Flower Painting from Nature” and in the 1850s, F.C. Terry offered “Drawing and Painting from Nature” to the Sydney public.

[147] Jessie E. Scarvell [1862-1950] Sheep Grazing (on Banks of Pages River, Murrurundi (Upper Hunter), N.S.W.) 1898; oil on canvas; 50.0 x 89.0 cm signed: “ J.E. Scarvell 98 ” (lower right). PROVENANCE COLLECTION: 1895-2006 artist and by descent through family before gifted to AGNSW; PURCHASED: 2006 from Badgery’s.

21 Argus (2nd April 1890; 4th September 1890); Herald (5 May 1890; 5th June 1891); Table Talk (3rd October 1890; 5th December 1890); Geelong Advertiser (28th February 1891); Age (7th September 1891; 13th February 1895).

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Outdoor Sketching 22 In 1870s, Miss Oldham taught classes in “Outdoor Sketching” at Hobart. In mid-1870s, G. Bouchier Richardson offered classes in “Outdoor Sketching” in Adelaide. In Sydney, Mr A.D. Riley, a gold medalist from South Kensington School of Art, offered “Drawing, Painting and Sketching from Nature” with “Alternate Day Outdoor Sketching” in mid-1880s. In 1885, the (Royal) Art Society of NSW hired Pilford Fletcher-Watson [1842-1907] to conduct classes in “Outdoor Sketching from Nature”, but he was primarily a watercolorist and the classes were cancelled due to lack of interest. However, Alfred J. Daplyn and Julian R. Ashton were soon presenting “Outdoor Sketching and Painting” classes that contained large numbers of young women and older matrons. This was particularly important because Daplyn and Ashton would soon be influence by the Heidelberg [143] Annie E. Potter [1863-1938] artists (Tom Robert, Arthur Streeton and Charles Conder) who had come to Sydney to paint. In Australian Farm Scene his 1902 Landscape Painting from Nature in Australia, Daplyn compares the traditional with 1890s; oil on canvas; 40.0 x 60.0 cm; the plein air approach signed: “ E.A. Potter ” (lower left). “(the plein air painter) makes his studio in the open air. The subject far from embracing miles of PROVENANCE country, is likely to be the corner of a field, his aim not so much to call forth feelings of awe and PURCHASED: 2011 at Davidson’s. rapture, by displaying nature in her grander mood, but to translate for our benefit the beauty that lies in familiar things.” Annie E. Potter was a painter, printmaker and sculptor. She received her artistic training (until 1882) at Fort Many of these art teachers had impressive art teaching credentials, having studied at the Street Model School (Sophie Steffanoni was a fellow National Gallery of Victoria School, Melbourne School of Art and a surprising number with student). Between 1882 and 1891, Annie E. Potter was Certificates from the South Kensington School of Art (CSKSA). among the first art students enrolled at Sydney Technical College under French emigrant sculptor and decorative artist Lucien Henry. In September 1884, she was awarded third prize for freehand drawing from ornament in the South Kensington exams. Annie was an accomplished painter in oils, who adopted an impressionist style to her landscapes. From 1895, she exhibited at the Royal Art Society in the company of Edith and Aline Cusack, who she knew well. Potter painted at Mosman Bay at the time of the artists’ camps. In 1899, Annie Potter’s oil painting Calliopsis was purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW (later deaccessioned and sold). [144] Australian Bush Property 1890s; oil on canvas; 34.0 x 60.0 cm; signed: “ E.A. Potter ” (lower left). PROVENANCE PURCHASED: 2011 at Davidson’s

22 Sydney Gazette and NSW Advertiser (1st January 1835); Sydney Morning Herald (19th February 1857; 9th July 1884; 18th August 1885).

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(Excerpt) Outdoor Sketching and Painting Teachers (NOTE: ‘Miss’ and ‘Mrs’ are included to indicate marital status.) NSW VICTORIA QUEENSLAND 1883-88 Pilford Fletcher-Watson 1886-95 Miss Jones @ Melbourne 1889 Miss Barlow @ Toowoomba @ Sketching Institute of NSW, Sydney 1888 Mr Gibson @ Melbourne 1895 Mr Jenner @ Brisbane 1886-89 Miss Cobbett (CSKSA) @ Sydney 1889 Alexandra Christman & V. Brun-Almeo 1896 Mrs Davenport @ Brisbane 1886-90 Mrs Higginbotham (CSKSA) & Mrs Phillips 1890-92 Miss Grace McCormack etc. @ Sydney 1890-95 Mrs Charles Taylor @ Melbourne 1886-89 Miss Paine (CSKSA)@ Sydney 1891 Arthur T. Woodward @ Gippsland SOUTH AUSTRALIA 1887 Alfred J. Daplyn @ Sydney 1891 Mrs Charles Gilbert @ St Kilda 1890-95 James Ashton (York School of Art) @ Adelaide 1889-90 Madame Constance Roth (CSKSA) @ Sydney 1891 Mrs Crozier @ South Yarra 1892-95 Miss Mary A. Overbury @ Glenelg 1891 D. Schultze @ Goulburn 1891-96 John Mather (Royal Glasgow School of Art) @ Melbourne 1894-95 Harry P. Gill @ Adelaide 1892-93 Annie Dobson (Royal Academy School) & Horace Moore-Jones @ Sydney 1891-94 Miss Janie W. Wilkinson @ Melbourne 1894-95 Miss J.L. Wilson (CSKSA) @ Adelaide 1892-93 Miss Florence Ada Fuller (NGVS) @ Malvern 1892-95 Arthur Collingridge (Paris Academies) @ Sydney 1896 Miss Stenhouse @ Adelaide 1892-94 Charles Roland @ St Kilda 1892 Mrs Hawke @ Sydney 1896 Mrs L.H. Le Freimann (CSKSA) @ Adelaide 1892 Mr Webb at Melbourne 1893 Miss Ross @ Burwood etc. 1892-96 Miss Ridge @ Melbourne 1893 Miss MacNaughton @ Goulburn 1892-96 Mrs Charles Taylor @ East Melbourne TASMANIA 1893-96 George A. Thomas @ Sydney 1893 Miss Collins @ Melbourne 1894-95 Ethel A. Stephens @ Sydney 1893 Miss Riordan @ Geelong 1887-89 Miss A. Hall @ Hobart 1894 Miss Alan Kelly @ Sydney 1894 Misses Creeth (BSM) @ Bendigo 1892 Miss H. Middleton @ Launceston 1894-96 H. Bastings @ Parramatta 1894 Miss Grace Bedford @ Geelong 1893 Gladstone Eyre @ Launceston 1895 Julian R. Ashton (Paris Academies) @ Sydney 1894-96 Miss Trickett (CSKSA) @ East Melbourne 1894 Miss Tomes @ Hobart 1895 Wollaston Thomas @ Sydney 1894 Mr A.W. Pratt @ Mount Alexander etc. 1895 Miss Grace MacCormack @ Waverley 1894 Miss M.F. Baskerville (CSKSA) @ Williamstown

1896 Miss Bannister @ Sydney 1894 Miss Dixon @ Geelong WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1896 Mrs Beck @ Pyrmont 1894-96 Mrs W.J. Anderson @ Melbourne 1895 Miss Owtram @ Perth etc. 1894 Mrs W. Bolam @ Melbourne 1894-96 Frederick Taylor @ Richmond etc. 1895 Victor Henry @ Melbourne 1895 Emily White (MSA) @ Geelong 1895 Mr Arthur M. & Mrs Emma M. Boyd @ Melbourne 1895 Miss Rutherford @ Melbourne 1896 M. Maurice @ Melbourne 1896 James Peele @ Melbourne 1896 Miss Mullett @ Hawthorne 1896 Miss Alice Wight @ Wondaga etc.

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23 ARTISTS’ CAMPS IN AUSTRALIA {WIP} While some authors imply that the impressionist artists were the first to establish artists’ camps in Australia, groups of artists had banded together to paint the Australian bush since colonial times. Many of the glorious landscapes and panoramas were just too far away for a day-trip and transport was restricted to hiking or occasionally with pack animals along rough trails if the artists were fortunate. However, many of these early artists weren’t painting en plein air, but instead were creating working sketches to be used afterward to create finished landscapes in their studios. Australia’s impressionist artists’ camps tended to be within fifty kilometers of major population centres and were often easy to reach by commuter trains that operated at least several times per day. Artists stayed in the camps between several days and months at a time, returning to the city on occasion to visit family and friends, collect supplies or attend events like art exhibitions and musical performances. Other artists, art students, family and friends often visited for a day, returning to their homes in the evenings. This was especially true of women who were constrained by social conventions of the time that forbade them to share a camp with males. However, Australia’s women artists were an independent lot and grouped together to establish their own artists’ camps and bush studios often in rural cottages. These centres of female artistic endeavours were often chaperoned, but the lady artists typically struck out on their own or in small groups to paint en plein air at a spot of their choosing. Probably Australia’s greatest plein air painter was Marian Ellis Rowan24 [1848-1922; nee Ryan], a botanical artist and ‘mere painter of flowers’ who was awarded gold medals at Australian [153] Jessie C.A. Traill [1881-1967] and international exhibitions, much to the displeasure of Tom Roberts and other male artistic Lantern Light leaders in Victoria during the 1880s.25 Rowan wasn’t happy with just painting her botanical subjects in her studio, but was compelled to paint them in their natural habitat. Patricia Fullerton a.k.a. The Red Lantern explained circa 1928; oil on panel; 42.0 x 29.5 cm. PROVENANCE “At a time that travel was rough and fraught with danger, this intrepid explorer went where few artists PAINTED: circa 1928 plein air painting during trip had ventured before. From the tropical rainforests in Queensland and remote spots of the Australian through outback South Australia and Northern outback, her quest took her to New Zealand, the Himalayas, Europe, the United States, Caribbean and Territory; High Country of Papua New Guinea. Today over 3,000 works in public and private collections testify Collection: until late-1980s Traill family, when to her prodigious output…” found in Jessie Traill’s country studio; “Most of Ellis Rowan’s original watercolour studies on grey paper were executed under extreme Purchased: 1989 from Leonard Joel’s. difficulties: the heat of the dusty desert, pestered by flies, or in the humid conditions of a tropical The scene of an evening meal under a marquee in rainforest where snakes and crocodiles lurk. Her powers of observation, compositional skills, sense outback Australia is illuminated by the red lantern. Jessie of colour, her deftness with a brush and natural facility of technique without any preliminary sketch, Traill was one of the first artists to paint the hard to reach were without compromise.” outback districts of South Australia and Northern Territory.

23 Helen Topliss, The Artists Camps: ‘Plein Air’ Painting in Australia, Hedlel Australia Publications,1992; an excellent reference that offers an excellent introduction to Australia’s women impressionists and provide 221 illustrations, including many that are seen nowhere else. 24 Patricia Fullerton, The Flower Hunter: Ellis Rowan, National Library, Canberra, 2007; an excellent reference on Ellis Rowan that highlights her artistic career, achievements and hardships. 25 Caroline Jordon, Tom Roberts, Ellis Rowan and the Struggle for Australian Art at the Great Exhibitions of 1880 and 1888; University of Melbourne, 2005.

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IMPRESSIONISM IN VICTORIA {EXCERPT} On 18th April 1885, Tom Roberts arrived in Melbourne aboard the SS Lusitania after five years artistic studies in London and painting trips in Europe at a time when French Impressionism was all the buzz. In London, he had been influenced by artists who would form the nucleus of the New English Arts Club in 1885 to promote a British style of Impressionism. Like most artists studying in London at this time, Roberts was strongly influenced by American painter James McNeill Whistler and the popular plein air painters such as Bastien Lepage and his British followers. In 1883, Roberts toured Spain with Australian artist John Peter Russell and it was here they met two Spanish painters, Lorreano Barrau and Ramon Casas, who emphasized en plein air painting principles and the rising popular notions of Impressionism. In 1884, Roberts painted in Italy where he created small studies, strongly influenced by Whistler’s work in Venice. On his return to Melbourne, Tom Roberts was keen to establish himself as a painter of note and adopt Impressionist principals to Australian subjects and conditions. Most art historians consider Tom [NAS] Archibald D. Colquhoun [1894-1983] Roberts to be the ‘founding father of Australian Impressionism’. However, Tom Roberts wasn’t the only or even the first artist painting in Melbourne in the Surf Beach at Low Tide 1880s with direct contact with European Impressionism. In 1881, Alfred J. Daplyn [1843-1926] 1960; oil on board; 29.0 x 44.0cm; migrated from London to Melbourne, later settling in Sydney in 1884 where he became an signed: “ A.D. Colquhoun ” (lower right). influential plein air landscape painter and art teacher. He was born at Stepney (London) in Provenance Middlesex and received his artistic training at London’s Slade School, New York’s National Purchased: 1992 at Gray’s. Academy, Paris’s L'Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts under Leon Gérôme, Carolus-Duran [1837- This bright impressionistic beach scene is typical of 1917] and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot [1796-1875], and privately in Rome. He was friendly and Colquhoun’s later work that was brighter than his painted with John Singer Sargent and spent time painting at artists’ colonies in Pont-Aven and paintings that had been strongly influence by Max Barbizon in France, being considerably influenced by en plein air painting techniques. In March Meldrum tonal-impressionisms. 1882, Daplyn exhibited at the Victorian Academy of Arts; according to the Argus art critic “A. Daplyn seems to have sought inspiration in Brittany ‘Showery Weather’ (57) and ‘The Boat Builder’ (69) are painted in the low tones after the French method and in the style of the ‘Impressionist’. ‘Brittany’ (13) always painfully green, because it always rains there. We have never seen a Breton without an umbrella or parapluie, and so we must suppose it is that which the saboted figure carries under her arm.”26 Most likely this is the first use of the word ‘Impressionist’ in an Australian context. Daplyn’s en plein air painting techniques gave effects of light and atmosphere not possible in a studio, and his works were broader than those of William Piguenit, Nicholas Chevalier and Louis Buvelot. While in Melbourne, Daplyn taught painting and drawing, giving a number of lectures on plein air painting. In July 1884, he left Melbourne and settled in Sydney before Tom Roberts had returned to Australia. Interestingly, Daplyn influenced a number of artists to take up the style, but his influence on Julian R. Ashton would turn him into a key influencer after 1883 “Mr J R Ashton … No 20, for its execution is too broad and scenic for a wall picture. The colour is laid on with a full sweeping brush, and anything like detail is pretty well overlooked. … it breathes a certain poetical sentiment, but in its technical qualities, it resembles some of the productions of the Continental ‘Impressionists’, as they call themselves.”27

26 Argus (25th March 1882). 27 Argus (3rd March 1883).

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Another early influence prior to Tom Roberts return to Australia was J. Ford Paterson. Before leaving Australia in 1875, he had been a follower of Louis Buvelot whose plein air painting techniques suited the romantic Scotsman. On 19th November 1883 (18 months before Roberts), J. Ford Paterson returned to Melbourne aboard the SS Aberdeen after nearly ten years in Scotland. While in Glasgow, he had painted with and was greatly influenced by the Glasgow Boys, the core of Scottish Impressionism. He was most likely introduced to these Impressionists by his cousin James Paterson [1854-1932] who was a prominent member of the group. J. Ford Paterson also made frequent trips to London where he was a well-known member of the Savage Club and undoubtedly became familiar with the painting of James McNeill Whistler and his disciples. In 1880s, J. Ford Paterson built a family home at 258 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park (St Kilda) which became a meeting place for many of the Melbourne-based Impressionists. The Scottish connection in Australian impressionism has been largely overlooked. In addition to J. Ford Paterson, John Mather was another Scottish artist who arrived in Melbourne in 1878 at age 30-years. Mather was closely associated with the Heidelberg artists and gave a number of lectures about art and painting at the artists camps in the late-1880s and early-1890s. He too [189] John Ford Paterson [1851-1912] worked initially as a decorator and frequented the same circles as the Paterson family. In the late-1880s, Scotsman Gordon Harrower Coutts arrived in Melbourne. He had received Settling the Sheep at Dusk, 1890 his initial artistic training at the Glasgow School of Art, meeting Irish artist John Lavery who 1890; watercolour & gouache; 16.5.0 x 21.5 cm; became his friend and introduced him to the Glasgow Boys’ way of painting before studying for a signed: “ J. Ford Paterson ’90 ” (lower right). time in Paris. Between 1890 and 1893, Coutts attended the National Gallery of Victoria School Provenance where in 1893, he was runner-up to James Quinn for the School’s prestigious Travelling Scholarship. During this time, he became associated with the Heidelberg artists and Melbourne’s PAINTED: 1890 and is related to the oil painting Nearing the Camping Ground in the Art Gallery Scottish artists J. Ford Paterson, John Mather and Jane Sutherland. Between 1894 and 1900, of NSW’s Collection. Gordon Coutts lived in Sydney where he taught and influenced Aline M. Cusack and other Sydney impressionists. PURCHASED: 1996 from Leonard Joel’s. Another Scot who painted at this time in Melbourne was American-born Jane Sutherland who arrived in Melbourne in 1870 at age 17-years. The Sutherland and Paterson families were closely In 1890, Nearing the Camping Ground was purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW. Strongly influenced by the associated with each other, cooperating and investing in the same land development companies. Glasgow Boys and Scottish Colourists, J. Ford Paterson Jane attended the National Gallery of Victoria School and was the leading Australian Woman brought a colouration and mood to Australian Impressionist in Melbourne, being closely associated with Clara Southern and Jane R. Price. Jane Impressionism that was quite different from Tom Roberts’ Sutherland also taught painting, one of her students being Florence Ada Fuller who she greatly Heidelberg School artists or the students and followers of influenced. E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker. The Glasgow In April 1888, the Paterson family completed the Grosvenor Chambers between Collins Street Boys had been disillusioned with academic painting and and Flinders Lane with purpose-built studios for artists. Between 1888 and 1896, the location favoured contemporary rural scene and worked en plein became a cauldron of impressionist painting with the Paterson Brothers (including J. Ford and air directly in front of the subject. They were strongly Hugh Paterson), Louis Abrahams, Gordon Coutts (1894), E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George influenced by the realism of Dutch and French art, Tucker (1893-1894), Jane R. Price, Tom Roberts (occupied by John Mather and Arthur Streeton especially the Naturalist paintings of Jules Bastien- in 1891), Clara Southern, Jane Sutherland, James C. Waites, and George Walton all having Lepage [1848-1884], and also by the tonal painting of the studios there in the late-1880s and early-1890s. Charles Conder, Charles D. Richardson and American artist James McNeill Whistler. Arthur Streeton were nearby in the Gordon Chambers in Flinders Lane, and E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tuckers had their Melbourne School of Art in Cromwell Building on Bourke and Elisabeth Streets.

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Another Australian artist to bring back a familiarity of Impressionism was English-born Walter H. Withers, who arrived in Melbourne on 15th January 1883 aboard the SS Sorata from London via Naples and Suez. He had received his artistic studies at London’s Royal Academy Schools and South Kensington School of Art. However, it is unlikely he influenced anyone at this time because he spent his first 18 months working as a jackaroo on several country properties. However in mid to late-1884, Withers returned to Melbourne where he enrolled at the National Gallery of Victoria School and began painting en plein air 9 by 7 inch oil sketches even before Tom Roberts had returned to Australia. Between October 1887 and June 1888, Withers returned to Europe to continue his art studies in Paris, where he became associated with E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker. When he returned to Melbourne in late-1888, Withers established a studio in Kew and painted with Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, Artur Loureiro and Jane Sutherland. In 1889, Withers shared the home of Charles Davies at Eaglemont with Roberts and Streeton. In 1890, the Withers family moved into the Charterisville Estate, where he established a studio and sub-let cottages to other artists, including Arthur Basset, Tom Humphries, Fred Monteath, Leon Pole and Hal Waugh. Withers was a popular art teacher who primarily taught [190] James Peter Quinn [1871-1951] en plein air landscape painting, his students included Clara Southern. His attempts to organize his fellow artists earned him the nickname ‘Colonel’. “ View of Heidelberg ” Six months after Tom Roberts returned to Melbourne, in November 1885, Italian painters 1901; oil on canvas board; 25.5 x 33.5 cm; Girolamo Nerli and Ugo Cantani arrived in Melbourne from Italy via Marseille, Madagascar, signed: “ J. Quinn ” (lower right). Mauritius and Isle of Bourbon (a.k.a. Reunion). Nerli had studied at Florence’s Accademia di Belle Provenance Arti under Antonio Ciseri, whose academic style had been tempered by the influence of the Macchiaioli (literally, patch- or spot-makers), a group of painters who were influenced by Camille PAINTED: 1901 while living at Charterisville Corot, Gustave Courbet and the painters of the Barbizon School, becoming the founders of Italian before returning to Europe and marrying; exhibited in Australia after return his in 1934 for Impressionism and advocates of en plein air painting to capture natural light, shade and colour of 15 and later 25 guineas; the landscape. They often painted on small wooden panels, as did Whistler and later the Australian Impressionists, these small quickly produced paintings (the ‘macchia’) possessing a sketch-like PURCHASED: 2008 from William’s. composition using blocks of colour. After his arrival in Melbourne, Nerli shared a studio in Collins In December 1893, James Peter Quinn was awarded the Street with Catani and the Portuguese painter Artur Loureiro, the artists giving en plein air painting National Gallery of Victoria’s prestigious Travelling lessons to eager students. Nerli is an often a ‘forgotten influence’, who especially had considerable Scholarship, which enabled him to further his artistic influence on Charles Conder and other Sydney-based Impressionists. studies in Paris and London. Though best-known for his portraits, Quinn developed a landscape style closely [193] Robert Taylor-Ghee [1869-1951] associated with the French Impressionists. While James “ Through the Forest, Quinn’s portraits are quite academic in their approach, his Fernshaw, Victoria ” landscapes demonstrate an impressionistic flair that he a.k.a. Wool Wagon through the adopted in the Victorian artists’ camps in the late-1880s and early-1890s and later continued to develop while Giants, Gippsland panting in Estaples alongside Rupert Bunny, E. Phillips 1908; oil on canvas; 29.5 x 45.5 cm; Fox and Iso Rae in France. signed: “ R. Taylor-Ghee ” (lower left). Provenance PAINTED: circa 1905; related to Hauling the Logs in the National Gallery of Victoria Collection. PURCHASED: 1993 from Goodman’s.

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9 BY 5 IMPRESSION EXHIBITION [AUGUST 1889] Held in Melbourne from 17th August 1889, THE 9 BY 5 IMPRESSION EXHIBITION is considered by many to be the most important art exhibition ever held in Australian and in many ways legitimized Impressionism as an Antipodean art movement. Through this exhibition, the artists made a determined and conscious effort to engage the Australian public with the concepts and artistic merits of Impressionism. Within its catalogue, the organizers provided a quote from French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme [1824-1904] and an explanation of what an ‘Impression’ is. “When you draw, form is the important thing; but in painting the first thing to look for is the general impression of colour.” – GEROME * * * * * TO THE PUBLIC * * * * * “An effect is only momentary; so an impressionist tries to find his place. Two half-hours are never alike, he who tries to paint a sunset on two successive evenings, must be more or less painting from memory. So, in these works, it has been the object of the artists to render faithfully, and to thus obtain first [182] Herbert James Daly [1865-1930] records of effects widely differing, and often of very fleeting character.” Mediterranean (Salerno) Harbour The Exhibition was ‘ 9 by 5 Impressions ’ not because all the artworks were 9 by 5 inches in circa 1911; oil on canvas; 32.0 x 45.0 cm; size, but because the majority of the ‘impressions’ were painted on cigar lids which were 9 by 5 signed: “ Daly H.J.” (lower right). inches, some of the pictures being painted not only on cutdown cedar panels but also artists’ board and canvas. Gilt frames were rejected, instead standardised wide flat-panels of stained wood Provenance framed most of the artworks. The pictures were kept small and painted quickly using broad PURCHASED: 1997 from Leonard Joel’s. brushstrokes of colour and tone, so they were affordable by the public. At the exhibition, 178 Between 1888 and 1890, Herbert J. Daly received his landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, portraits, still-lifes and interiors were exhibited, the majority artistic training at the National Gallery of Victoria School by Tom Roberts (62), Charles Conder (46), Arthur Streeton (40) and Charles D. Richardson (21), under Fred McCubbin and in August 1889, Daly exhibited but also a small number by Fred McCubbin (5), Roger Eydyn Falls (3) and Herbert James Daly at Melbourne’s iconic 9 x 5 Impression Exhibition with (1). There were also five sculptures exhibited by Charles D. Richardson, four in wax and one in Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder, Fred bronze. McCubbin and a few other artists, who became known as No women artists were represented, but it is known that Jane Sutherland and Clara Southern ‘The Heidelberg School of Artists’. After Daly’s painted impressions for the 9 by 5 Exhibition, but these were “not for public exhibition”,28 allegedly retirement in circa 1909, he travelled and lived in Europe having been rejected by Tom Roberts (if it seems I’m questioning Roberts’ support of women and was for a time based in Paris where in 1911, he artists, I am). It’s interesting that many of the Exhibition’s artworks were purchased by women art studied under E. Phillips Fox with whom he travelled and lovers who were quite taken by the fresh coloration, loose painterly style and informal composition painted in North Africa, France and England. Daly also of the impressions. Australia’s women impressionists were already experimenting with associated and painted with Rupert Bunny and many impressionist techniques and were exhibiting early efforts at venues more open to women artists. other leading French, British and American artists. In Like the French Impressionist exhibitions, many of the artists who were invited to participate Europe, Herbert Daly exhibited in Paris, at the Hibernian either rejected the offer or were unable to provide impressions within the time constraints and Society in Dublin and also in Glasgow and Edinburgh. In format required. There is little doubt that like Monet and Whistler, some of the invited artists and 1912, Daly had a solo exhibition at the Fine Art Society art students are likely to have declined to participate fearing the exhibition’s effect on their artistic Gallery in Melbourne which was well received. careers and the opinion of the art establishment.

28 Victoria Hammond and Juliet Peers, Completing the Picture: Women Artists of the Heidelberg Era, Artlovers, 1992, page 68. On 2nd August 1889, a Table Talk art critic noted that “This trio of lady artists - Miss Sutherland, Miss Southern and Miss Price – have caught the "impression" fever, and show a great variety of charming little sketches, which however are not intended for exhibition.”

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The impressions were not all recently painted pictures. In addition to Melbourne and Sydney [NAS] Charles Conder [1869-1909] (and their surrounding countryside), there were also landscapes of London, Venice, the All on a Summer’s Day, Coogee 1888 – Mediterranean and Suez, meaning that some of the impressions were at least five years old. Also, the exhibition was not the result of the artists having their impressionistic artworks Impressionist (Tom Roberts) rejected for exhibition. In November 1888, the Victorian Artists’ Society did exhibit impressionistic painting on the Hill paintings by Charles Conder, J. Ford Paterson, Arthur Streeton and Jane Sutherland.29 In 1887, April 1888; oil on panel; 13.0 x 14.5 cm. the discussion about the validity of Impressionism as an art movement had already begun in Provenance Australia and artists and art student were experimenting with its precepts and techniques. Purchased: 1980 from house sale in Woollahra, NSW The exhibition of ‘impressions’ was a game-changers because these types of artwork were at NOTE: I purchased it only knowing that it was a well- the time primarily produced as preliminary sketches for larger works and considered unsuitable executed Impressionist painting in a “9 by 5 for public exhibition and sale. Despite mixed reviews by critics who admitted to not knowing how Impression” frame. It wasn’t until I viewed Lauraine to judge the impressions, during the exhibition, more than two-thirds of the 178 paintings were Diggins 1982 Exhibition that I was able to (with some sold to Melbourne’s art lovers and patrons. For such a controversial exhibition, it was considered apprehension) attribute and date the artwork to an excellent outcome and a financial success, the unsold works being auctioned after the Charles Conder. Exhibition closed.30 The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition was not the first exhibition of its type. Between 1874 and 1886, the French Impressionists held seven exhibitions of impressionist artworks in Paris. In May 1884, American James McNeill Whistler [1834-1903] had exhibited “Notes” – “Harmonies” – “Nocturnes” in London, which undoubtedly influenced the Australian presentation of using a Japanesque décor. Like the Australian exhibition of impressionistic art, these exhibitions were also met by skepticism, confusion and abuse from the art establishment. However, in 1886 (three years before the Australian exhibition), 300 artworks primarily by French Impressionists were shown in New York City, the exhibition receiving large attendances and favourable reviews. This may have encouraged the Australians who like their American cousins were a ‘new society’ when compared to the ’old world’ of Europe and the United Kingdom. The Australian artists weren’t just following the broken colour techniques and square tipped brushes used by the French impressionists, but had appropriated techniques pioneered by Spanish, Italian, Scottish and even American artists experimenting with impressionist techniques. The Australian efforts would develop into a  [NAS] “ All on a Summer’s Day ” form of landscape painting that would dominate Australian April 1888; oi on panel; 51.0 x 30.5 cm; art for decades. signed: “ Chas Conder, April 1888 ”.

Charles Conder and Tom Roberts worked together at Coogee during PROVENANCE Easter, April 1888. “At this time, 'All On A Summer's Day' was painted. It's EXHIBITED: Nerliesque Umbrella is it’s dominant motif. Trees and foreground grass ✓ 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition', August 1889, are written down in a way reminiscent of Julian R. Ashton though much Catalogue Number 54; looser, and the tiny figure of an artist with umbrella and easel amusingly ✓ 1982 ‘Selected Australian Works of Art’, crowning the crest of the dune, should, one feels, be a reference to Tom Roberts.” Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne; Charles Conder by Ursula Hoff COLLECTION: Art Gallery of South Australia.

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31 MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF ART [1893 - 1901] In July 1892, Tudor St George Tucker and in October 1892, E. Phillips Fox returned to Melbourne after six years of intensive art study in Paris and the artists’ colonies along the French coast and in the countryside. More than any other Australian artists, Fox and Tucker were well- grounded in the principals and techniques of especially French and American Impressionism. By February 1893, the two friends had established the Melbourne School of Art at the Cromwell Buildings on Bourke Street (opposite G.P.O.) providing daily classes in French academic practices in relation to painting, drawing and composition, with special attention paid to life-drawing (including portraiture and from the nude), and painting of landscapes, portraits-figures and still-lifes,32 the pair of artists teaching a quite conservative form of Impressionism with emphasis on colour. Students were introduced to progressive techniques and practices - a more direct and spontaneous method of vigourously applying paint with a square-tipped brush or palette knife using a simplification of tones, a high-key colour palette and a liberal use of white, greens and blue-greens. The classes were and instant success with between 30 and 40 students enrolling in the first year, about ninety percent being women. Cash prizes (up to 3 guineas) and honourable mentions [145] Lilla Reidy [1858-1933] were awarded to students in the various categories, an unique innovation being that prize winners attended the following year at half-fees. The classes were often praised by Melbourne’s art critics Autumn Leaves, Fitzroy Gardens late-1890s; oil on canvas; 44.0 x 55.0 cm; and often compared Fox’s and Tucker’s methods to be superior than the highly conservative artistic training of the National Gallery of Victoria School. After viewing the MSofA Student signed: “ Lilla Reidy ” (lower right). Exhibition on 3rd January 1896, the Table Talk art critic stated PROVENANCE “The students of the Melbourne School of Art are too much in earnest to hold any other creed than ‘art PAINTED: late-1890s while Lilla was E. Phillips for art's sake’. Another trait of a particularly rare and pleasing kind, is the unerring knowledge of the Fox’s assistant at the Summer Art School at effects of light….the best collection of what may be described as ‘academic’ work that has been seen Charterisville; statue was removed circa 1930s. in Melbourne for some years. It easily surpasses the exhibition of students’ work in the National Gallery, PURCHASED: 1995 from Leonard Joel’s. and if the same rate of progress is visible at the end of next year, Messrs. Fox and Tucker will be in the Lilla Reidy received her initial artistic training at Hobart enviable position of having established a system of art training in their native city that can compare before attending the National Gallery of Victoria School with any system in vogue in Europe… Fox and Tucker carry on their classes on the ‘Julien’ system .” (1881-1882) under George Folingsby and the Melbourne On 13th January 1898 and on 29th December 1898, the Melbourne Punch art critic stated School of Art (1893-1899) under E. Phillips Fox and Tudor “The landscapes form an important feature, a special effort having been made in this direction. For two St George Tucker, earning several scholarships for her months of the year a house was rented in a picturesque spot in the country. Here the more advanced outstanding work. Here she learned to paint in an students were located, and thereby enabled to work direct from nature from dawn to dusk, the result impressionistic style and was awarded prizes in being a most interesting collection of plein-air studies. At the same time, the regular work of the school Landscape, Still-life and Life painting. She was later E. has not been neglected, as is proved by the number of meritorious studies from life both in oils and Phillips Fox’s assistant. In 1900, Lilla Reidy and Edward charcoal, as well as a goodly collection of still-life.” Officer took over the Melbourne School of Art, Officer as Director and Reidy as assistant instructor, but by July “There is a tendency to ‘Impressionism’ in the oil work, and the drawing and composition are good.” 1901 Reidy was fully in charge of the School.

29 Argus (16th November 1888); Table Talk (3rd April 1890). 30 Argus (3rd September 1889). 31 Not to be confused with earlier and later “Melbourne School of Art’ or ‘North Melbourne School of Art’ or ‘South Melbourne School of Art’ or ‘Port Melbourne School of Art and Design’ or occasional references to National Gallery of Victoria School as Melbourne Art School. 3232 Age (4th & 9th February 1893; 16th February 1894; 9th January 1895); Table Talk (29th December 1893; 11th January 1895; 3rd January 1896; 1st January 1897; 7th January 1898); Argus (8th January 1895; 21st December 1898).

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SUMMER SCHOOL [1894-1901] AT CHARTERISVILLE [120] Ina (Georgina) Gregory [1874-1964] In 1894, E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker took over from Walter Withers “ Four Art Students, Charterisville ” the cottage and outbuildings on the circa 1897; oil on canvas; 29.0 x 24.5 cm. Charterisville Estate, 77 Burke Street, Ivanhoe. PROVENANCE th On 19 May 1894, an Age journalist described PAINTED: circa 1897 at E. Phillips Fox’s & Tudor St George it Tucker’s Summer Art School at Charterisville Estate, “… tiny brick cottage, set in the beautiful Ivanhoe, Victoria. wilderness of a garden which extends from the COLLECTIONS: banks of the Yarra up the steep hill of the ✓ Ina Gregory’s 156 Inkerman Street, St Kilda Studio; Charterisville Estate, whose cottages and ✓ until 1992 Mrs Robyn, Kelly, Melbourne Victoria. outbuildings are like so many swallows' nests for the Melbourne artists, which they leave, and PURCHASED: 1992 from Sotheby’s. to which they return, to take their artistic flight EXHIBITED: with a more or less assured stroke. This part of Heidelberg has a double charm in its wealth of ✓ 1985-1986 “Golden Summers: Heidelberg and English trees and hedges, now in all the glory of beyond” at NGV; AGNSW); AGSA; AGWA their autumn tints, and in its wide expanse of ✓ 1992-1993 “Completing the Picture: Women Artists and bare dome-shaped hills, which offer, in spite of the Heidelberg Era” at HP&AG; BFAG; CAG; BAG; their apparent uniformity, an infinite variety in SGEG; CHG; QVM&AG; TM&AG; AGWA the everchanging atmosphere, which “wraps ILLUSTRATED: with pensive glory” the pale gold of the grass.” ✓ “Golden Summers: Heidelberg and beyond”, Jane Clark Initially E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Ticker used Charterisville as a country studio and and Bridget Whitelaw; 1985, lent it to friends and students for painting excursion in the country. Between 1894 and 1900, it ✓ “Completing the Picture: Women Artists and the became an annex to the Melbourne School of Art where the women art students could stay and Heidelberg Era”, Victoria Hammond and Juliet Peers, 1992 paint in a modicum of comfort on weekends and for longer periods. The women had their own ✓ “Heritage: The National Women’s Art Book”, 1995. accommodation and were seldom alone, living and painting together in close quarters. In the Summer of 1896-97, Fox and Tucker commenced a formal Summer School at Art Students, Charterisville is one of the most iconic Australian paintings produced by an Australian women Charterisville where students could concentrate on plein air painting of landscapes and other impressionist. It has been exhibited and illustrated more outdoor scenes with an emphasis on French impressionist practices. An innovation was that ladies than any other artwork produced by an Australian women could choose to stay at the farmhouse with a chaperone, many of the female students taking the impressionist. It shows the interior of the cottage at the opportunity of being able to take a two-month holiday with intensive art training during the days,33 Charterisville Estate with four of E. Phillips Fox’s students this encouraging some of the ladies to rent the cottage for short periods at other times of the year. going about their routine possible during the evening or on a rainy day. It possesses a darker tonal range than the The Charterisville cottages could be a lively place. On a Saturday in September 1898, a tea-picnic- favoured blue-green of Fox’s students’ sunlit garden dance was held for friends and family by the students living at Charterisville with singing and scenes. Its small scale and rapid brushwork are typical of recitations featuring between the dancing.34 the work created at Charterisville.

33 Melbourne Punch (3rd June 1897). 34 Australasian (1st October 1898).

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CHARTERISVILLE TRAGEDY In November 1897, three women art students of Fox and Tucker rented the Charterisville cottage and painted the countryside especially along the nearby Yarra River. On 1st November 1897, Eva Brooks tragically drown while taking an early morning bath in the river. The tragedy was discovered when another artist Harry Recknall discovered a pile of clothes on the riverbank and a lady’s hat in a quince tree, fearing the worst he contacted the Heidelberg police. The clothes were soon identified as belonging to Eva Brooks and searches were mounted and the river dragged for the body, which was not discovered for a fortnight. A coroner’s inquest declared that death was by heart failure most likely caused by thermal shock of the cold water. ( Herald (2nd November); Age (4th November 1897); Mercury and Weekly Courier (5th November 1897); Argus (18th November 1897); Age (18th November 1897); Sunbury News and Bulla and Melton Advertiser (20th November 1897) ).

[102] C. Asquith Baker [1869-1960] Yarra River at Dusk a.k.a. River Landscape circa 1906; oil on board; 34.0 x 43.0 cm; signed: “ C. Asquith Baker ” (lower left).

PROVENANCE

PAINTED: circa 1906 shortly after returning after five years study in Paris, France.

PURCHASED: 1998 from Deutscher-Menzie’s. The Yarra River (a.k.a. Yarra Yarra River) has its source in the Yarra Ranges and flows 242 kilometers west through the Yarra Valley which opens out into plains as it winds its way through Greater Melbourne before emptying into Hobsons Bay in northernmost Port Phillip. It flows through Richmond, Hawthorn, Fairfield, Heidelberg, Bulleen, Templestowe, Eltham, Warrandyte, Yarra Glen, Healesville, Woori Yallock, Launching Place, Yarra Junction, Warburton and McMahons Creek. Even though its colour is perpetually muddy brown, it featured in many landscapes in the 19th and early-20th centuries.

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NOTE: bolded names have biographies in (excerpt) Melbourne School of Art’s Students and Years of Attendance35 Dictionary of Biography that follows.

(1894-97) Miss Christina Asquith Baker (prizes; (1894-99) Agnes E. Oakley (prizes) Awarded Free Year of Tuition) (1893-94) Edward Cairns Officer (prizes) (1893) Mrs Marion Barrett (prizes; Lady (1897-99) Miss Paterson Barrett; nee Rennick; Mrs F.J. Parini) (1896-97) Ambrose Patterson (1897-98) Miss Boudry (1895-99) Miss Helen A. Peters (prizes) (1896-97) Miss Eva Brooks [promising (1894-95) Rosetta (Etta) P. Phillips (Fox's cousin) landscape painter who drowned in (1898-99) Miss C. (Constance?) Raleigh 1897 at Heidelberg] (1898-99) Miss H.P. Raleigh (prizes) (1893-94) Norman St C. Carter (1897) Hugh Ramsay (1893-95) Mrs Bennie Cohen (prizes) (1894-95) Harry J. Recknall (1896-98) Miss Isabel Collins (prizes) (1897-99) Miss Geraldine Rede (1894-95) Miss Christie (prizes) (1893-99) Miss Lilla Reidy (prizes; (1894-98) Miss D. Mary Ellerman (prizes) assistant teacher) [101] C. Asquith Baker [1869-1960] (1894-95) Albert Enes (prizes) (1896-1898) Miss Robertson White Roses (1894-98) Miss Edith R. Evans (prizes) (1893-94) Miss E.M. Rochefort (prizes) circa 1912; oil on board; 34.0 x 43.5 cm; (1894-98) Miss Jessie L. Evans (prizes) (1897-99) Miss Lucy? Sutton signed: “ C. Asquith Baker ” (lower right). (1895-96) Miss Ursula Foster (prizes) (1893-95) Miss Isa Taylor (1893-94) Miss Fox (prizes) (1897-1900) Miss Violet Teague PROVENANCE (1896-99) Miss Carrie or F.V. Francis (prizes) (1894-96) Miss Trethowen PAINTED: circa 1912 while in Paris, France and acquired by E. Phillips Fox when his studio was next (1895-96) Miss Olive Green (prizes) (1898-99) Miss Fabiola Tuomy to hers in Paris. (1893-95) Miss Ada L. Gregory (prizes) (1896-98 Miss Ada Walker COLLECTION: from 1912 E. Phillips Fox. (1893-99) Miss Georgina (Ina) Gregory (prizes) (1894-95) Miss Emily White (prizes) PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. (1897-1900) Miss Dora Hake (Mrs Serle) (1894-96) Miss Aline Wolfenden (prizes) C. Asquith Baker received her artistic training at the Port (1897-1900) Miss Elsie Hake (Mrs Barlow) Melbourne School of Art prior to attending the National (1894-95) Miss C & E Henham Gallery of Victoria School (1888-1895) under Fred (1894-95) Miss Hinckley (prizes) McCubbin, George Folingsby and Bernard Hall and (1894-98) Mrs Henrietta Irvine (prizes) Melbourne School of Art (1893-1897) under E. Phillips (1893-97) Miss Nell McDonald Fox and Tudor St George Tucker. Baker became lifelong (1896-98) Miss Martin friends with Fox. Even though still-lifes are not generally associated with Australian Impressionism, Arthur (1895-1901) Miss Bertha E. Merfield Streeton, Tom Roberts and most of the exponents of (1893-97) Miss Muir (prizes) impressionist styles painted still-lifes, especially flower (1897-99) Miss Mary Nanson (Mrs Felix Meyer) arrangements.

35 The list is incomplete and has been taken from primarily newspaper reviews of Student Exhibitions, but also other sources that listed the person’s attendance; year range is like to be incomplete and there may be additional years of attendance.

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ARTISTS’ CAMPS IN VICTORIA: BOX HILL – BLACKBURN – MITCHAM – DANDENONG RANGES In 1882, the train station at Box Hill became operational, opening the area to day trips by sketch clubs and artists seeking rural surroundings. In the summer of 1885/86, the first Australian impressionist artists’ camp was established by Tom Roberts, Fred McCubbin and Louis Abrahams at Box Hill (1.5 kilometer south of Box Hill town hall; 15 kilometers west of Flinders Station, Melbourne; about 30 minutes by train). The camp was made up of tents and was located within a paddock and nearby popular picnic spots. Most of the artists who stayed or visited the artists’ camp are best described as “City Bushmen”, Edward Officer and Walter Withers being among the few with outback experience. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the district was popular with other impressionists, including Charles Conder, Theo Brooke Hansen, Tom Humphries, John Llewellyn Jones, John Mather, Arthur Streeton and Jane Sutherland. The locale was also a popular destination for the members of the Victorian Sketching Club and other professional and amateur artists because of its scenic qualities and easy access from Melbourne. In the early-1890s, Tom Humphries, Fred McCubbin, George Pitt Morrison and Tudor St George Tucker kept a cluster of country studios in cottages at Blackburn, a kilometer west of Box Hill. The district was so closely associated with en plein air painting, it became known as the “Australian Barbizon”.36 In addition to a bit of comfort and organization, a country studio enabled the plein air artists the ability to paint large canvases in addition to the smaller works on panel, board or stretched canvas. Also, a rural studio allowed the artists to wait out nature, so its varying moods could be captured on canvas. In February 1894, Fred McCubbin was quoted by a Herald journalist (10th February 1894) [186] William B. McInnes [1889-1939] “Nature under our Australian sky seems to me like a shy, reserved person, ready to repel you but Children in Bush you have only to wait and watch her varying moods, and you will find all the beauty you can desire.” a.k.a. Lost for the Moment In the mid-1890s, American-born Jane Sutherland [1853-1928] maintained a country studio at circa 1911; oil on board; 29.5 x 22.0 cm; Mitcham, 5 kilometers farther west from Blackburn. In 1894, an Age journalist described signed: “ W.B. McInnes ” (lower left). Sutherland as Provenance “the leader, amongst the lady artists of Victoria, of the open-air school.” PAINTED: circa 1911 before leaving Melbourne to Jane Sutherland was closely associated with Clara Southern [1861-1940] with whom she shared study in Europe. an inner-city studio on Swanson Street and undoubtedly accompanied Sutherland on many of her PURCHASED: 1994 from Joel’s. country excursions. In the early-20th century, Alice M. Bale, Norah Gurdon, Constance L. Jenkins, In 1886, Fred McCubbin painted Lost at Box Hill, in 1940, Janet Cumbrae Stewart, May Vale, Dora Wilson and other women artist painted en plein air around the painting being acquired by the Felton Bequest for the Warrandyte, Sassafra and Olinda. In his later years, Arthur Streeton took up residence in Olinda National Gallery of Victoria. It seems that every Australian and Tom Robert was nearby in Kallistra. In the mid-1900s, J. Ford Paterson, Montague Brown, impressionist painted a similar scene of a child or children Tom Carter, Hal Waugh and Leslie Wilke developed an artists’ camp at Croydon.37 alone and lost in the Australian bush.

36 Age (24th February 1894). 37 Melbourne Herald (7th June 1907; 11th July 1907).

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ARTISTS’ CAMPS IN VICTORIA: IVANHOE (CHARTERISVILLE) – EAGLEMONT – HEIDELBERG – TEMPLESTOWE - WARRANDYTE After the train lines reached Heidelberg in 1888, Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and other Victorian impressionists turned their focus on the districts northwest of Melbourne that had been known for its scenic spots since the 1860s. Many artists and art historians referred to the entire area as being ‘Heidelberg’ to bring an association to the Heidelberg School of Artists, including Charles Conder, Tom Roberts, Fred McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and other Victorian-based Australian impressionists. Like Box Hill, Eaglemont was 15 kilometers (via Ivanhoe) from Flinders Station and took less than 30 minutes to reach by train with Heidelberg just 2 kilometers farther up the line and within 1 kilometer of Diamond Creek; Templestowe was less than 10 kilometers to the west of Heidelberg and Healesville 50 kilometers far on. During the 1880s, the area was a rural backwater with numerous vacant houses that artists could rent cheaply, making the area ideal for the establishment of short- and long-term artists’ camps and colonies. In 1889 and 1890, Walter Withers offered art lessons and maintained a country studio in Eaglemont before living at the Charterisville Estate in Ivanhoe until moving in 1894 to Cape Street in Heidelberg. While renting the Charterisville Estate between 1890 and 1894, Withers sublet accommodation to Arthur Basset, Tom Humphries, Fred Monteath, Leon Pole and Hal Waugh, forming the first art colony within the Heidelberg area. In the late-1880s, Arthur Streeton and Charles Conder conducted an informal art school for women artists in the Heidelberg district, teaching landscape and still-life painting.38 Whether these students stayed in one of the empty houses or made day-trips is unknown. John Mather is known to have presented at least one art lecture at Eaglemont to a reputed audience of 80 people. [NAS] Lionel Lindsay [1874-1961] Between 1890 and 1893, Walter Withers conducted an art school at Charterisville, afterward the “ Charterisville, Heidelberg, estate was taken over by E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker as country studios and housed a Summer School for their Melbourne School of Art (see above). After Fox left for Europe Victoria ” in March 1901, Charterisville was occupied by Will Dyson, Norman and Lionel Lindsay, Max Oil on board; 1907; 34.0 x 24.0cm; Meldrum, Ernest Moffat, James Peter Quinn and John Shirlow. In early-1890s, John Mather built signed: “ Lionel Lindsay “ lower right. a house and studio at Healesville, this becoming a mecca for some of his art students. PROVENANCE th In the early-20 century, the district became popular for Australian artists to setup homes and COLLECTION: Purchased by Dame Edith Walker; studios, including William Frater, Murray Griffin, Henry B. Harrison, Norman McGeorge, William PURCHASED: 1992 from Leonard Joel’s. Beckwith McInnes and Napier Waller not far from Ivanhoe. In the early 1900s, Lionel and Norman Lindsay, Will Dyson, Max Meldrum, Ernest Moffat, James Peter Quinn and John Shirlow stayed for a time at the Charterisville Estate, this painting of its garden being a result.

38 Argus (16th October 1934).

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ARTISTS’ CAMPS IN VICTORIA: PORT PHILLIP COAST ( ST KILDA - BRIGHTON - SANDRINGHAM - BLACK ROCK - BEAUMARIS - MENTONE ) In 1888 and 1891, the tram lines reached St Kilda opening the area for sketching parties and plein air painters. It also was a popular place for artists to live, a residential suburb developing close by the beach which provided numerous vantage points of sand, piers and boats sailing on the bay. Its residents included Louis Abrahams, Theodosia Anderson, C. Asquith Baker, Rupert Bunny, Ina (Georgina) Gregory, Fred McCubbin, Agnes E. Oakley, J. Ford Paterson, Rosetta Phillips, Jane R. Price, Fabiola Tuomy, Lilla Reidy, Charles Rolando and others. Brighton Beach on Port Phillip Bay was only a 30-minute train ride from Flinders Station and after its train station became operational in 1887, Brighton became a highly popular picnic spot and destination for plein air artists and sketching clubs. In early-1880s, Alfred J. Daplyn had painted in the area, and John Mather and Jessie C.A. Traill frequently painted and etched there. The Evans sisters (Jessie L. and Edith) lived only one block from the beach, and Clarice Beckett, Ellis Rowan, Janet Cumbrae Stewart and Jean Sutherland also lived in the district. Despite its closeness to the city, in the 1880s and much of the 1890s, it remained quite rural with chickens and cattle wandering freely in paddocks. Of course, the coast was the real attraction, especially the somewhat gnarled ti-trees that hugged the fringe of the beach. Three kilometers farther south was the popular Black Rock district with its Half-Moon Bay featuring in numerous opportunities for plein air painting, including works by Tom Humphries, Girolamo Nerli and J. Ford Paterson. From the 1890s, Half-Moon Bay was a setting for yachting, the Royal Brighton Yacht Club forming in 1875 and Black Rock Yacht Club in 1919. In 1888, the train line extended to Sandringham (Gipsy Village until 1887) with a horse-drawn tram servicing Beaumaris-Mentone which were 5 and 10 kilometers farther south. These scenic spots were favoured by Charles Conder, Fred McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton. For a bit of a change, the cliffs in Mentone were a popular subject and were painted by Ugo Cantani, [133] Bertha E. Merfield [1869-1921] Elsie Hake (Mrs Barlow); Bertha E. Merfield, Stewart Handasyde, Tom Roberts and others. “Mentone, Victoria ” [192] Robert Taylor-Ghee [1869-1951] 1904; oil on board; 34.0 x 20.0 cm; signed: “ B.E. Merfield ” (lower left). “ South Wharf, Melbourne ” PROVENANCE before 1925; oil on board; 18.0 x 28.0 cm; PAINTED: circa 1901 prior to her trip to Europe signed: “ R. Taylor Ghee ” (lower left). where she continued her studies in Paris. PURCHASED: 1998 at Deutscher-Menzies. Provenance Bertha Merfield received her artistic training at the PAINTED: before 1925; Melbourne School of Art (1895-1901) under E. Phillips EXHIBITED: August 1925 at Solo Exhibition Fox and Tudor St George Tucker and also studied at the in Queen’s Hall Gallery on Collins Street” th National Gallery of Victoria School (1897-1898). She (Argus 25 August 1925) “bold in learned to paint in an impressionist style in the company treatment and interesting in colour schemes”. of C. Asquith Baker, Jessie L. Evans, Ina Gregory, Lilla Reidy, Violet Teague, and others before continuing her PURCHASED: 1994 from Leonard Joel’s. studies in Paris, London and French art colonies.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS & POST-IMPRESSIONIST WHO PAINTED IN VICTORIA {WIP} Tier One Tier Two Tier Three Tier One: professionally trained artist who earned living Rupert Bunny Aby Alston Louis Abrahams from their art endeavours and achieved a high level of Charles Conder C. Asquiith Baker Marion Barret (Lady Barrett; acclaim in their day from exhibiting and have been Gordon Coutts Alice Marion Ellen Bale nee Rennick; Mrs F.J. Parini) researched to a high degree; known to have created a Janet Cumbrae Stewart Margaret Baskerville Eva Brooks body of impressionist artworks and exerted an influence on Alfred James Daplyn Arthur Basset D. Mary Ellerman the development of Impressionism through teaching or art David Davies Arthur M. and Emma M. Boyd Roger E. Fall practice example; recognized for impressionism within E. Phillips Fox Ugo Cantani Ada Gregory permanent collections. Norman St C. Carter Ethel Carrick Fox (Mrs E. Phillips Fox) Ursula Foster Florence Ada Fuller Sybil Craig Henrietta Irvine Agnes Goodsir Frank Crozier Mary Nanson Tier Two: professionally trained artist who earned living Constance Jenkins (Mrs E Spencer Macky) Herbert J. Daly Harry J. Recknall from their art endeavours and achieved a level of acclaim Grace Joel Jessie L. Evans Fabiola Tuomy in their day from exhibiting and have been researched to a John Llewelyn Jones Ina (Georgina) Gregory Lucy Walker high degree; known to have created a limited body of Frederic McCubbin Norah Gurdon impressionist artworks and may have been influential; William B. McInnis Dora Hake (Mrs Dora Serle) often recognized for impressionism in permanent Elsie Hake (Mrs Barlow) John Mather collections. Josephine Muntz Adams Stewart Handasyde Birge and Eleanor Harrison Girolamo Nerli Tier Three: professionally trained artist who pursued art Hilda Rix Nicholas Tom Humphry Edward C. Officer Lionel and Percy Lindsay as an interest and achieved a moderate level of acclaim in Ambrose Patterson Artur Jose De Souza Loureiro their day from exhibiting and have been researched to a Louis McCubbin J. Ford Paterson degree; known to have created a limited body of Dora Meeson (Mrs George Coates) Helen Peters impressionist artworks but was unlikely to have been Max Meldrum Jane R. Price influential. Bertha E. Merfield Iso Rae Mary Meyer (Mrs Felix Meyer) Hugh Ramsay [191] Herbert Rose [1890-1937] Fred Monteath Charles Douglas Richardson George Pitt Morrison “ Summer Pastoral at Harrietville Tom Roberts Agnes A. Oakleigh John Peter Russel James Peter Quinn (near Mount Buffalo, Victoria) ” Clara Southern Hugh Paterson circa 1910; oil on canvas board; Arthur Streeton Helen Peters 24.5 x 33.5 cm; Jane Sutherland Lean Pole signed: “ Herbert Rose ” (lower left). Robert Taylor-Ghee Lilla Reidy Tudor St George Tucker Jean Sutherland Provenance Walter Withers Jo Sweatman PAINTED: circa 1910 Violet Teague Jessie C.A. Traill PURCHASED: 1993 from Leonard Joel’s. Isabel Tweedle Herbert Rose offered a more refined style than May Vale the Heidelberg School or even followers of E. Phillips Fox. Herbert Rose was the “Painter of the Hal Waugh Picturesque” and “Painter of Sunlight”, sunshine and effects of light fascinated him, and he Jane Wilkinson Whyte faithfully painted the sunlit villages, towns and landscapes that he witnessed on his travels. He Fred Williams travelled extensively touring and painting in Victoria, Europe, United Kingdom, United States, North Dora Wilson Africa, Syria, Persia and India.

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IMPRESSIONISM IN NEW SOUTH WALES {EXCERPT} In late-1886, Italian artist Girolamo Nerli is credited by a Sydney art critic with introducing Impressionism to Sydney. “ In connection with the subject of art, it may be mentioned that the ranks of Sydney artists have lately been strengthened by the arrival and settlement in Sydney of Signor G. Nerli, of Florence, who has formed a studio at 45 Norwich Chambers. Signor Nerli has made a journey to the Hawkesbury, has painted one or two landscapes in the peculiar style of the “Impressionist” School, and has also some portraits and studies of figure subjects on the walls of his studio. ”39 On 6th November 1885, Girolamo Nerli arrived at Sydney from Marseille aboard the SS Caledonia with another Florentine artist Ugo Cantani but proceeded to Melbourne. In early and mid-1886, the two Italians shared a studio with Portuguese artist Artur Jose De Souza Loureiro, the three men being known to have been influence by Italian and Spanish-Portuguese impressionistic principles. In Melbourne, Nerli had visited the early artists’ camps and had become associated with Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and the other Heidelberg School artists. Shortly [195] Charles E.S. Tindall [1863-1951] after arriving in Sydney, Nerli established ‘Drawing and Painting Classes” at Norwich Chambers “ Whale Beach (Sydney) ” in Hunter Street and also taught art at several girl schools, including Abbottsleigh and St circa 1918; watercolour; 27.0 x 35.0 cm; 40 Leonards. Nerli was a great influence on the young Charles Conder even before Conder and signed: “ C.E.S. Tindall ” (lower left). Roberts painted together at Coogee Beach in 1888. A Sydney art critic reviewing the (September 1888) Art Society of NSW’s Annual Exhibition noted PROVENANCE PURCHASED: 1990 private collector. “ Visitors to last year's exhibition will notice an undoubted increase in specimens of the style which Signor Nerli so strongly affects. But though ‘imitation’ may be ‘the sincerest form of flattery’, great Charles E.S. Tindall was primarily a watercolourist, one of discrimination is necessary to produce effects which make the apparent impromptu character of the a group of Sydney-based artists who relied on watercolour Italian artist’s work successful and acceptable. ”41 sales instead of oil paintings. Tindall claimed to have his first art lessons from Charles Conder and was a member This was before Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton had even exhibited in New South Wales. of the Art Society of NSW’s Brush Club [1888-1897] along In 1892, Girolamo Nerli visited Samoa and other Pacific Islands, where he painted the local with Julian R. Ashton, Albert Henry Fullwood, Livingston scenes and a portrait of Robert Lewis Stephenson. The following year, Nerli moved to New Hopkins, Henry S. Hopwood (British watercolourist), Zealand, but returned to Sydney in 1899 where he resumed exhibiting and giving art classes. In George W. Lambert, William Lister Lister, Sydney Long, March 1904, Girolamo Nerli returned to Italy where he was appointed to an official artistic position Frank P. Mahony, G.V.F. Mann, Benjamin E. Minns, David at the Vatican, the new Pope (Pius X) reputedly being a relative. In 1898, a Brisbane art critic H. Souter, Percy Spence, David G. Reid, John W. Tristram and John S. Watkins; Marion Eliza Drewe (a.k.a. Drew) stated being the only lady of the nearly 100 artist membership. “ SIGNOR NERLI is recognised as the leading exponent of the Impressionist School. In Australia, he After the split between the Royal Art Society and Society is represented in the Melbourne and Sydney Galleries, and in every gallery and private collection of of Artists, the Brush Club faded and was finally wound up note in New Zealand. ”42 in November 1897.

39 Daily Telegraph (8th January 1887) 40 Sydney Morning Herald (18th January 1887; 7th October 1887; 24th March 1888). 41 Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser (22nd September 1888). 42 Brisbane Courier (19th November 1898).

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Tom Roberts made his first trip to Sydney in late-1887 and between 1888 and 1891, Charles Conder, John Mather, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton undertook painting and sketching forays to New South Wales to capture on panel and canvas Sydney Harbour and its environs along the city’s Pacific Coast and Hawkesbury River, and into the Blue Mountains. These ‘Victorian’ artists mingled with Sydney-based artists for a bit of painting and a great deal of comradery. In one of Streeton’s first exhibitions in Sydney, the critic compared Streeton with Nerli. “ Mr Arthur Streeton, a Victorian artist of the ‘Impressionist’ School, sends the greatest number of oil paintings of any exhibitor, most of them conspicuous for the exceeding brightness of colour and the extra ordinary combinations... For bizarre effects of colour, Mr Streeton approaches the paintings of Signor Nerli; but the latter overtops all in the vigour and originality of his work. ”43 By the early-1890s, Melbourne’s land boom had crashed and there was little cash to purchase paintings, this being followed by the Panic of 1893 and the global Economic Depression of the mid- and late-1890s. While Roberts and Streeton sought economic refuge in Sydney from 1892, [184] John Llewelyn Jones [1869-1950] other artists were forced to return home from studies in Europe. In 1890, Streeton sold Still glides the stream, and shall forever glide for £70 to the Art Gallery of NSW and Roberts sold Shearing Yachts on Sydney Harbour the Rams to a private buyer for £350 (at the time, the highest price ever paid for a painting by circa 1910; oil on panel; 13.0 x 19.0 cm; Australian artist). With these and other sales, in the early-1890s, Roberts and Streeton were signed: “ J. Llewelyn Jones ” (lower left). financially sound, in fact well off. Even so, they chose to frequent the artists’ camps not only for the incredible scenery, but also the comradery of fellow artists and like-minded individuals. PROVENANCE While a great deal is made of Julian R. Ashton bringing Impressionist techniques to Sydney, PAINTED: circa 1910 shortly after moving to he arrived in Australia in 1878, having only spent a few months in Paris in 1873. It is unlikely that Sydney. he had any direct experience with Impressionism before leaving Europe or the United Kingdom, PURCHASED: 1995 from Leonard Joel’s. but he was an advocate of en plein air painting, claiming his Evening, Merri Creek (1882) was J. Llewelyn Jones received his artistic training at the the first plein air painting done in Australia, but this was just self-promotion, especially as Louis National Gallery of Victoria School (1883-1889) under Buvelot [1814-1888] had been producing plein air landscapes since the early-1870s and possibly George Follingsby and Fred McCubbin, being awarded the earlier. Ashton initially worked in Melbourne and was influenced by Alfred J. Daplyn before settling 1888 Judge's Prize and a number of other prizes. Between in Sydney in 1883 prior Roberts return to Melbourne. It is highly likely that Ashton didn’t meet 1888 and 1893, he conducted a ‘Private Ladies Class’ Roberts and Streeton until 1888, but by then he had already been influenced by Alfred J. Daplyn teaching painting and drawing in Bendigo and in 1899, and Girolamo Nerli. established a School of Design in Prahran (Melbourne). Alfred J. Daplyn arrived in Sydney in July 1884 and his presence appears to have again In late-1880s, Llewelyn Jones was one of the first artists to encouraged Julian R. Ashton to adopt a looser landscape style with broader brushwork. In 1884, join Arthur Streeton at Eaglemont artists' camps and is Daplyn was teaching landscape painting at the Art Society of NSW School, his students including considered to be one of the Heidelberg School painters. In Alfred Coffey, Charles Conder and Sydney Long. 1890, the Art Gallery of N.S.W. purchased his oil, The Dry What is important is that Ashton, Daplyn and Nerli taught classes in painting and drawing, Season, which encouraged him to move to Sydney. In and especially took their students (most being women) out on painting excursions around Sydney 1913-1914, he taught painting and drawing at Charters Harbour, its ocean beaches, the Hawkesbury River and Blue Mountains. By the time Roberts and Towers in Queensland. After a move to Sydney, he tried Streeton arrived in the late-1880 and early 1890s, the foundations for an Australian School of beekeeping, worked as a commercial traveler and Impressionism had already been laid in Sydney. The exhibition of especially Streeton’s and conducted art classes. Conder’s paintings and their frequenting of Sydney’s artists’ camp was catalyst for Sydney artists to dabble and adopt and Impressionist style of painting.

43 Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser (13th September 1890).

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In mid-1888, William Lister Lister returned to Australia after receiving his artistic training in England, France and Scotland where he had painted with the Glasgow Boys and became thoroughly knowledgeable about Impressionism. In early-1889, he gave lessons in landscape painting at his studio in Victoria Arcade (and later Paling’s Building), his early students including Jessie E. Scarvell, Sophie Steffanoni and Margaret Preston. In 1894, Jessie E. Scarvell was one of the first Australian woman Impressionists to have one of her impressionistic paintings, The Lonely Margin of the Sea enter the collection of a public art gallery (i.e. Art Gallery of NSW). Sydney’s women artists weren’t without female role models. In 1884, English-born Anne Constance Roth [1859-1928; nee Jones; Mrs Dr. Felix Roth] arrived in Sydney and taught life drawing at Academy Julian (a.k.a. Julian R. Ashton’s Art School). She had received her artistic training at the South Kensington School of Art, Heatherley’s and British Museum classes. Before sailing for Australia, she taught decorative art classes at the Glasgow School of Art and became familiar with Scottish Impressionism. Madame Roth became a successful artist, reputedly earning £500 per year from the sale of her decorative paintings that were bold in coloring and composition, often painted on long cedar panels. In 1890, Roth was the first Australian women Impressionist to have one of her paintings, Apples, purchased for a public collection (i.e. Art Gallery of NSW). In August 1892, she departed Australia aboard the RMS Ormuz for South Africa and England, leaving her husband behind in Australia (divorced a few years later), soon making a considerable reputation for painting decorative still-lifes of Australian flora in the United Kingdom. On 20th April 1894, Edith E. Cusack boarded the RMS Austral in London for Sydney via [119] Portia S. Geach [1873-1959] Gibraltar, Naples, Suez, Colombo (Sri Lanka), Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. She had received her initial artistic training at Parramatta under Joseph A. Bennett44 and because paying the weekly Moonrise (Mosman Bay) fees was a challenge, she worked concurrently as his assistant teacher. In 1890, an uncle left 1922; oil on board; 24.0 x 19.0.0 cm; £300 for the education of Edith and her sister Aline, and with monies saved from the sale of signed: “ Portia Geach ” (lower right). paintings, Edith was able to spend three years studying and painting in Europe. On 16th February Provenance 1891, she boarded the RMS Oroya for London, to further her studies at Paris’s Académie Julien Painted: en plein air near her residence on Cremorne Point; (1891-1894) under Bouguereau, Lefebvre and Fleury. While in Paris, she exhibited at the Salon Purchased: 2011 from Lawson’s. and for a time, shared accommodation with Victorian impressionist May Vale. After the Bank Crash of 1893, Aline’s and Edith’s inheritance was lost and Edith was required to return home. Portia Geach received her artistic training at the National Gallery of Victoria School (1890-1896) under Fred After her return to Sydney, Edith and Aline Cusack taught art from their inner-city studio and in McCubbin, George Follingsby and Bernard Hall. In 1896, September 1894, Edith’s pastel portrait Aline was purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW (one of she travelled to London where she won a scholarship to the first Impressionist paintings by an Australian woman artist to enter the collection of a public the Royal Academy School of Arts, studying for four years, gallery). Upon her return from Europe, Edith Cusack (and her sister Aline Cusack) adopted an including for a time under American John Singer Sargent, impressionistic style of painting and became leading Sydney artists who asked and received high James Shannon, Solomon J. Solomon, George Clausen and Seymour Lucas. In 1898 and 1899, she worked and prices for their paintings. The Cusack sisters were an inspiration and considerable influence on studied in Paris, attending Académie Whistler under the young women artists in Sydney, who they shared their painting style, including Portia Geach, Edith guidance of American James McNeill Whistler and Adye Hume, Emily Meston, Alice J. Muskett, Sophie Steffanoni and Ethel A. Stephens. exhibited in United Kingdom, France (Paris) and USA (New York), returning to Australian in early-1901.

44 Before arriving in Sydney (1886), Joseph Bennett had studied in Paris under Leon Bonnat [1833-1922] at the time of French Impressionist exhibitions; he was friends with Edgar Degas, Gustave Moreau, Jean-Jacques Henner and sculptor Henri Chapu, and Bonnat studied for 3 years in Italy after winning the Prix de Rome.

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In 1893, The (Ladies’) Painting Club was formed in Sydney, the first Australian art society exclusively for women artists. The membership of The Painting Club included Lilla Creed, Edith E. and Aline M. Cusack, Elsie M. Deane (Mrs William H. Norton), Florence Greaves, Alice J. Muskett, Alice E. Norton (Mrs F.A.Q. Stephens), Jessie E. Scarvell (Mrs Charles W. Bundock), Ethel A. Stephens and Helen Willis. Meetings and exhibitions were held at Ecclesbourne (Double Bay), home of James and Isabella Norton, the parents of Alice E. Norton. This was a prelude to the formation of Society of Women Painters in 1910, which included almost every women artist working in Sydney. There were regular exhibitions, a sketch club and the free exchange of artistic principals and techniques. In 1920, the Society established its School of Fine and Applied Art, which became a hot bed of Post-Impressionist painting. Eirene Mort was the Principal and taught etching and crafts, Florence Ada Fuller taught life-classes, A. Hedley Parsons taught landscape painting (A. Hedley Parsons’ sister-in-law was Alice M. Parsons who was Florence Ada Fuller’s sister) and from mid-1920s portraiture and life classes were taught by Lawson Balfour.

[106] Elaine E. Coghlan [1897-1989] “Lawson Balfour, Australian Artist ” 1926; oil on canvas on board; 37.0 x 26.5 cm; signed: “ E.E. Coghlan ” (lower right).

PROVENANCE EXHIBITED: April 1926 at Sydney’s Society of Woman Painters Exhibition (Daily Telegraph (29th April 1926 “One admires the adventurous [105] Elaine E. Coghlan [1897-1989] spirit of E. E. Coghlan, who contributes a clever Self-Portrait at Easel study of Lawson Balfour”); 1931; oil on canvas on board; 27.0 x 22.0 cm; COLLECTIONS: 1930-1993 Elaine Coghlan then by descent through family; signed: “ E.E. Coghlan ” (lower right). PURCHASED: 1993 from artist’s family. PROVENANCE In the mid-1920s, Lawson Balfour [1870-1966] influenced EXHIBITED: Finalist in 1930 Archibald Prize; a new generation of women portrait painters in Sydney, COLLECTIONS: 1930-1993 Elaine Coghlan then by including Elaine E. Coghlan, Mabel Barling, Bessie descent through family; Boultbee, Myra Cocks, May Prince, and Mary Will-Slade. PURCHASED: 1993 from artist’s family. Balfour studied portrait painting at England’s Herkomer Elaine E. Coghlan received her artistic training at the School (circa 1890-1892) and exhibited with the Royal Royal Art Society School (1918-1925) under Dattilo Society of British Artists and the New Watercolour Rubbo and James R. Jackson, being awarded three life Society. He continued his training in Paris, spending one painting scholarships, a life drawing scholarship and a year with F. Cormon, and three years at the Académie number of other art prizes.In mid-1920s, she studied Julien under W. Bouguereau, Benjamin Constant and portrait painting under Lawson Balfour at the Society of Jules LeFebvre. After a stay in New Zealand, he arrived Women Painters. Between 1929 and 1946, she was a in Sydney in 1912 where he established himself as a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize (1929, 1930, noted portrait painter. He is represented by four portraits 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935 and 1941) for Portraiture and and four landscapes in the Art Gallery of NSW and in 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1931, 1936 and 1937, he Wynne Prize (1941, 1944, 1946 and 1947) for Landscape was a finalist in the Gallery’s prestigious Archibald Prize. Painting.

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ARTISTS’ CAMPS IN NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY HARBOUR AND ITS ENVIRONS ( LAVENDER BAY - KIRRIBILLI - NEUTRAL BAY - CREMORNE - MOSMAN - SIRIUS COVE - CLIFTON GARDENS - BALMORAL ) At the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, more than almost any city in the world, Sydney had an abundance of beauty spots for plein air painters to depict that were easily accessible by a short hike or ride on a tram, train or ferry. In many cases, the artists didn’t have to rough it in artists’ camps, but instead could simply leave their home or temporary accommodation and walk or ride to a spot of breath-taking beauty. Though much larger, Sydney was situated much like Etaples, Pont Avon or Giverny in France, but only better. Lavender Bay, Kirribilli, Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman, Clifton Gardens and Balmoral were particularly popular residential suburbs [137] Alice Jane Muskett [1869-1936] for plein air artists to live, including Elaine E. Coghlan, Aline M. and Edith E. Cusack, Florence Ada Fuller, Ina (Georgina) Gregory, Ellen Adye Hume, William Lister Lister, Jane R. Price and “ Horse Ferry, (Sydney Harbour) ” Tom Roberts (after his marriage in 1896). 1908; oil on board; 18.5 x 34.0 cm; In the early-1890s, Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton took up residence in a camp at Sirius signed: “ Alice J. Muskett 1908 ” (lower right). Cove (below present day Taronga Park Zoo), at a cost of £1 per week. Fellow campers included PROVENANCE Julian R. Ashton, Alfred J. Daplyn, Albert Henry Fullwood and Livingston Hopkins, and day-visitors PURCHASED: 1997 from Lawson’s. included almost every plein air artist living in Sydney in the 1890s. While the artists lived under From 1886, Alice Jane Muskett received her initial artistic canvas, the accommodation included real beds and wardrobes, a billiard tent and was serviced training under Julian R. Ashton (his second student and by a cook and an odd-job man. The camp at Sirius Cove was more holiday accommodation than occasional model) and between 1891 and 1892, studied at it was a bush camp like they experienced in Victoria. For many of the artists, it wasn’t poverty that the Sydney Technical College. In January 1891, she was encouraged them to live at the camps, but instead the scenic beauty of the surroundings and the awarded the Art Gallery of NSW’s First Prize for a Life-Size comradery of their fellow artists. However, after the Bank Crash of 1893, a number of artists like Portrait by a Student and started to exhibit with the Royal Albert Henry Fullwood lost their savings and were forced to seek inexpensive accommodation. Art Society but joined the Society of Artists when it broke Only a half-kilometer farther south was the Curlew Artists’ Camp on Little Sirius Point, which away. In early April 1895 and with the support of her brother, she boarded the ‘ flying clipper ’ Thermopylae for became popular especially as the Sirius Cove site became over-crowded at times. It wasn’t long London, proceeding to Paris where she continued her before campers and day trippers discovered Balmoral Beach. The encroachment of suburban studies at Académie Colarossi (1895-1897). She again develops, and Council regulations slowly caused the demise of the harbourside artists’ camps. visited Europe 1910-1911 and 1914-1919. While in Paris, On 19th September 1900 in the Bendigo Advertiser Bert Levy reminisced she exhibited at the Paris Salon and in 1898, three of her paintings were included in the Exhibition of Australian “On Sydney Harbor, at that beautiful little bay called Mossman's, there is an artist's camp. Every Art in London. In 1898, her Study of Roses was brother of the brush in Victoria and New South Wales, more or less, knows of Rueben Brasch’s camp, purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW. She authored a that dear, delightful Bohemian spot, where every member of the craft receives a glorious welcome. semi-autobiographical novel, Among the Reeds (1933) Many tender memories crowd upon me as I remember the jolly days I have spent at the camp. just three years before her death of a cerebral Memories of Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, John Longstaff, Fred McCubbin, and Marshall Hall. After hemorrhage. a hard day's work in the city, what a pleasure it was to catch the Mossman’s Bay boat at the Circular Quay, and to get away from the madding crowd. On the little golden headland across the harbour indescribable blue, we used to loaf, paint, and talk. The camp was maintained by monthly subscriptions from all the ‘boys’ who used it, and we kept a man-cook and boy on the spot all the year round. There were two large tents, and the kitchen was in a hollowed out and massive old rock.

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“At night we used to sit round a campfire and tell yarns. How beautiful the environments. Across the black water we could see the dancing lights of Circular Quay, and occasionally the huge Manly boats passed through the darkness like some great angry monsters. Sometimes on a bright moonlit night dozens of rowing boats would be out, and across the water would come to us shouts of merry laughter, and perhaps the sound of a rollicking chorus, accompanied by an accordion. Oystering parties, would land on the rocks beneath us, and for hours, we would hear the chip, chip, of the knives knocking the shellfish from the rocks, where they abounded.” However on 5th July 1902, Alfred Coffey lamented in the Catholic Weekly Press “At one time, the old artists’ camp at Mosman held a number of them (artists), but the glory has faded from that spot, and the rocks on which Streeton used to dream his wonderful colours are now in the possession of city clerks.”

[118] Portia S. Geach [1873-1959] Autumn Idyll, Cremorne Point 1922; oil on board; 30.0 x 22.0 cm; signed: “ Portia Geach “ (lower right). Provenance PAINTED: en plein air near her residence on Cremorne Point. Purchased: 1994 from private collector. [111] Elaine E. Coghlan [1897-1989] “ Middle Harbour ” 1930s; watercolour and ink; 16.0 x 30.5 cm; signed: “ Elaine Coghlan ” (lower left). PROVENANCE COLLECTIONS: 1930-1993 Elaine Coghlan then by descent through family; PURCHASED: 1993 from artist’s family.

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SYDNEY’S COAST ( SOUTHERN (WATSONS BAY - COOGEE BEACH) & NORTHERN (MANLY BEACH - PITTWATER) ) Between Watsons Bay (and South Head) and Coogee Beach was ocean coastal lands that featured high rugged cliffs and weathered rock formations with sandy beaches interspersed between them. The southern coastline and beaches became particularly popular once Sydney’s tram network reached them with trams reaching Coogee in 1883, Bondi in 1884 and Bondi Beach in 1894, Waverly in 1890 and Bronte in 1911, and Watsons Bay in 1909. Manly could be reached by ferry from the 1850s and in the 1920s, Post-Impressionists like Lawson Balfour, Elaine Haxton, Arthur Murch and others took up residence in the Northern Beach suburbs. By the late-1880s, Sydney’s artists were painting Coogee and Bronte Beaches often staying for a few days or weeks in holiday accommodation. After meeting Tom Roberts in late-1887, [141] A. Hedley Parsons [1870-1960] Charles Conder took Roberts to paint Coogee Beach on Easter Weekend April 1888. Other artists to paint this area included Girolamo Nerli (1888), Arthur Streeton (1890) and Duncan MacGregor Sydney Beach with Figures Whyte (1914). 1904; watercolour; 22.5 x 38.5 cm; On 25th December 1897, Alfred Coffey described In the Sydney Artists’ Colony in the signed: “ Hedley Parsons 1904 ” (lower left). Catholic Weekly Press PROVENANCE “Take the ordinary life of one of our principal Sydney artists, W. Lister Lister, President of the Art PURCHASED: 1990 from private collector. Society. He has large classes for landscape painting and is very much liked by all his pupils. ‘Uncle’ Between the 1890s and 1930s, A. Hedley Parsons exhibited (as he is called by some of those who have been longest with him), followed by a dozen or more lady numerous oils, watercolours and black-and-white drawings. students, is a familiar sight at Freshwater Beach, and other sketching places. Of course, he is not From 1899, she taught painting (including outdoor classes) always tied down to the city, and goes away on several painting tours during the year. Occasionally and drawing from her studio in the Paling’s Building some of his pupils get up a party, and stay at Narrabeen for a month or so, and have a delightful time, (Sydney; adjacent to Aline M. and Edith E. Cusack) and painting all day, and then boating on the lagoon or impromptu musical programmes at night. Lister Lyceum Hall (Newcastle) and was a member of the Society is a hard worker, as shown by his contributions to the annual exhibitions, many of his pictures having of Artists. In the early-1920s, she taught landscape painting been purchased for the National Gallery, including The Ever-Restless Sea.” at the Society of Women Painters School of Fine and Applied Art with Eirene Mort and Alice M. Parsons (her

sister-in-law) and Florence Ada Fuller (Alice M. Parsons’

sister). Though primarily known as an architect of theatres, Clarence Backhouse received his artistic training at London’s South Kensington School of Art (a.k.a. Royal College of Art). In 1887, [176] Clarence Backhouse [1859-1930] Backhouse was a foundation Academician of the NSW “ Heavy Weather, Curl Curl ” Academy of Arts, serving on its circa 1893; oil on panel; 14.5 x 31.0 cm; Council. At the Academy, he signed: “ Heavy Weather, Curl Curl, was closely associated with Clarence Backhouse ” (lower left). Girolamo Nerli, Fletcher- Watson, Mary Stoddard and PROVENANCE Achilles Simonetti and other PAINTED: circa 1893; leading Sydney artists. PURCHASED: 1990 from private collector.

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[142] Frankie (Frances) Payne [1885-1976] “ Child on Beach ” [NAS] Arthur Murch [1902-1989] 1930; oil on canvas; 27.0 x 21.0 cm; Mother’s & Daughters’ Day Out signed: “ Frank Payne ‘30 ” (lower right). Oil on board; circa 1960; 49.0 x 60.0 cm; PROVENANCE signed: “ Murch ” (lower left) PAINTED: 1930 and subject is her daughter. EXHIBITED: December 1930 joint exhibition with Elaine Coghlan at Sydney’s Arts Club; COLLECTION: exchanged for an Elaine Coghlan painting at joint exhibition then descent through Coghlan family. PURCHASED: 1993 purchased from Elaine Coghlan’s family.

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HAWKESBURY RIVER BASIN RICHMOND - WINDSOR - CATTAI - WISEMAN FERRY - BEROWRA - BROOKLYN The train lines reached Richmond on the Hawkesbury River in 1864, so the district was easily accessible for day trips and longer excursions. William Moore in The Story of Australian Art states that Alfred and George Collingridge were the first artists to visit and paint the Richmond district in 1879 and encouraged Julian R. Ashton, Charles Conder, Alfred J. Daplyn and Albert Henry Fullwood to also paint in the area in the 1880s. By the early 1890s, the scenic areas along the Hawkesbury River were popular with sketch clubs and Ashton and Daplyn took their landscape painting classes on plein air painting trips there, introducing the area to many of Sydney’s women artists and young artists, including Aline M. and Edith E. Cusack, Sydney Long, Jesse J. Hilder, Sophie Steffanoni and John S. Watkins. Easy access and numerous scenic river and wetland sites made the Hawkesbury a popular alternative to painting along Sydney Harbour and its beaches. In particular, rural scenes were popular, especially the old farmhouses, paddocks and orchards in the Richmond and Windsor areas. Artists often stayed with farmers and orchardists in the area, either camped out in a paddock or in a building on the homestead. [NAS] Jessie J. Hilder [1881-1916] Cottage on the Hawkesbury circa 1913; watercolour; 16.0 x 19.0 cm; signed: “ J.J. Hilder “ (lower right). Jesse J. Hilder’s artworks tended to be small in scale but large in mood and feeling. He was not afraid of empty spaces and his [179] William E. Christmas [1863-1918] compositions tended to be superbly designed. His brushwork is “ Where Still Waters Lie ” generally broad yet tended towards refinement and poetic feeling. In his watercolours, he gave his subjects the spirit of the 1894; oil on board; 36.5 x 30.0 cm; Heidelberg School, but is often haunted by a pathos with a signed: “ E.W.C. ” (lower right). tremulous vision of mortality. The painting was most likely near PROVENANCE Berowra, a district he painted in 1913 while living at Inglewood near EXHIBITED: 1894 at Art Society of NSW; Hornsby. PURCHASED: 1900 from antique shop in Roseville.

Ernest W. Christmas had previously painted the Upper Murray River and when he settled in Sydney in the early- 1890s, he gravitated to the Hawkesbury River in search of its wetlands. The location is believed to be near the Brooklyn Dam where even today, waterlilies flower in abundance.

[NAS] Percy Lindsay [1870-1952] Pittwater Outing 1920s; oil on board; 21.5 x 27.5 cm; signed: “ Percy Lindsay ” (lower right).

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BLUE MOUNTAINS [180] Alfred Roland Coffey [1869-1950] The railway reached Katoomba in 1874, Blue Mountain Vista, 1892 opening the Blue Mountains for day trips and longer excursions with holiday hotel a.k.a. “ Mountain View, Colo River ” accommodation and short-term rentals 1892; oil on canvas; 60.0 x 29.0 cm; being freely available. Emu Plains, Blaxland, signed: “ A.R. Coffey, 1892 ” (lower right). Springwood, Woodford, Lawson, Wentworth PROVENANCE Falls, Mount Victoria and Katoomba became PAINTED: 1892 executed in same year as Alfred popular scenic spots for sketch clubs and Coffey won the Royal Art Society's President's plein air landscape painters. Prize. Shows the influence of Australia's In the 1880s, the Blue Mountains were pioneer impressionists, who were in Sydney at a popular painting spot for William C. the time; Piguenit. In 1891, Arthur Streeton painted EXHIBITED: (1892) Royal Art Society’s Annual Blue Mountain Tunnel, possibly in the Exhibition (illustrated in catalogue); company of Alfred J. Daplyn or Julian R. EXHIBITED: (2000) Alfred Coffey Retrospective Rossi. Other artists that painted in the area (Sydney University 2000); were Howard Ashton, Penleigh Boyd, Alfred PURCHASED: 1992 from Leonard Joel’s. Coffey, Albert Henry Fullwood, J.J. Hilder Alfred Coffey received his artistic training at the Royal Art and George Lambert. Artists like Norman Society School (1888-1892) under Alfred J. Daplyn, taking Lindsay and Jesse J. Hilder took up prizes in every section and winning its President’s Prize residence in the area, which was (1892), later (1897) studying under Julian R. Ashton. From inexpensive and easily accessible to late-1890s, Alfred Coffey taught art at a number of Sydney by commuter train. Between the Technical Colleges (Sydney, Waverley and Granville) and mid-1910s and 1930s, Norman Lindsay’s for a time at Abbotsleigh Girls School (circa 1900s) where Grace Cossington Smith was among his pupils. In late- home and studio at Springwood became a 1900, he travelled to the United Kingdom and Europe, centre for Sydney’s artists to visit and paint, where he painted in Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, his wife Rose always a gracious hostess. Spain and Italy. On his return in late-1901, he was appointed an art instructor at the East Sydney Technical College and later taught art and lectured (1919-1922) in drawing and art history at the School of Architecture at Sydney University. Alfred Coffey was skilled not only in oil painting, but also produced fine watercolours and etchings.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS WHO PAINTED IN N.S.W. {WIP} TIER ONE TIER TWO TIER THREE

JULIAN ROSSI ASHTON DAVID BARKER CLARENCE BACKHOUSE RUPERT BUNNY JOSEPH A. BENNETT CAROLINE COMER NORMAN ST C. CARTER HAROLD BRYNE ADA COOPER ALFRED COFFEY WILLIAM ERNEST CHRISTMAS MAGGIE COULTER CHARLES CONDER ELAINE E. COGHLAN GRACE HOY GORDON COUTTS ALFRED AND GEORGE COLLINGRIDGE CONSTANCE MOSER EDITH E. CUSACK HELEN E. CREACH MINA MULLIGAN ALFRED JAMES DAPLYN JAMES A. CRISP FLORENCE ADA FULLER ALINE M. CUSACK ALBERT HENRY FULLWOOD MARION ELIZA DREWE INA (GEORGINA) GREGORY ALFRED HANSON ELIOTH GRUNNER H.C. HADLEY ELAINE HAXTON ELLEN ADYE HUME JAMES R. JACKSON NELSON ILLINGTON GRACE JOEL ARTUR JOSE DE SOUZA LOUREIRO JOHN LLEWELYN JONES FRANCIS MCCOMAS PERCY LINDSAY LEILA MCILWAINE WILLIAM LISTER LISTER MATTHEW J. MACNALLY SYDNEY LONG JOHN MATHER ARTHUR MURCH EMILY MESTON GIROLAMO NERLI BENJAMIN E. MINNS HILDA RIX NICHOLAS ALICE J. MUSKET EDWARD C. OFFICER ALICE E. NORTON JANE R. PRICE A. HEDLEY PARSONS TOM ROBERTS ANNIE E. POTTER DATTILO RUBBO ETHEL A. STEPHENS JESSIE E. SCARVELL JOHN TRISTRAM SOPHIE STEFFANONI ISABEL TWEDDLE ARTHUR STREETON JOHN S. WATKINS DUNCAN MACGREGOR WHYTE EDITH E. WILLIAMS GERTRUDE WILLIAMS JOSEPH WOLINSKI [126] Ellen Adye Hume [1862-1962]

[187] Edward Cairns Officer [1871-1921] “ Morning Glory at Night ” Australian Pastoral circa 1905; oil on canvas; 60.0 x 38.0 cm; a.k.a. Homestead, Kallara, NSW signed: “ E.A. Hume ” (lower left). circa 1907; oil on canvas; 37.0 x 74.5 cm; PROVENANCE signed: “ E. Officer ” (lower left). PAINTED: prior to 1909; COLLECTION: gift of artist before 1909; 1909-2012 Provenance collection of Mrs Nellie (Eleanor Emma Gunther) EXHIBITED: December 1908 exhibition where Cadell [1881-1945; nee Greville; Mrs Dudley Edward Officer was dubbed “Artist of the Cadell) then son Harold Cadell; Never Never”. PURCHASED: 2012 from Davidson’s. PURCHASED: 1996 from private collector.

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IMPRESSIONISM IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA {EXCERPT} With the formation of the Wilgie Sketching Club in 1889, plein air painting became popular among Perth’s and Western Australia’s artists. The Economic Depression of the 1890s, encouraged a number of artists with experience in Australian Impressionism in Victoria and New South Wales to seek financial opportunities in Western Australia. Principal among these artists was George Pitt Morrison, who had studied at the National Gallery of Victoria School and painted at the artists’ camps with Charles Conder, Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and the other Heidelberg School artists. In 1890, an inheritance enabled him to study in Paris where he became friends with E. Phillips Fox and Tudor St George Tucker, and American Impressionists who encouraged him to paint at the artists’ colonies in Etaples and along French Coast. In May 1893, Pitt Morrison returned to Melbourne, but soon travelled to Perth in search of better economic prospects. Fred Matthew Williams had also studied at the National Gallery of Victoria Schools and had painted with the Heidelberg artists in the late-1880s and early-1890s. From late-1890, he rented lodgings at Charterisville for half-crown per week from Walter Withers, with Arthur W. Bassett, Tom Humphrey, Leon Pole and Hal Waugh also staying and painting there. By December 1893, Williams was in Fremantle where he married Anna M. Fraser of Heidelberg (Victoria), who divorced him for cruelty in 1911. After trying his luck at the Western Australian goldfields, Fred M. Williams worked as a public servant, but also continued to paint. He was an active member of the Western Australian Society of Art (successor to the Wilgie Club), serving as its President. [199] Duncan MacGregor Whyte [1844-1936] According to William Moore, Frederick M. Williams was the creative force behind the Society’s art The Road Home courses and along with Pitt Morrison and James Linton was instrumental in establishing the Perth circa 1914; oil on canvas; 44.0 x 36.0 cm; Technical School. In 1916, he left Perth and settled in New South Wales. signed: “ McG Whyte ” (lower right). Between 1904 and 1909, Florence Ada Fuller resided in Perth where she taught Daisy Rossi and Kathleen O’Connor who she encouraged to continue their studies in London and Paris. In PROVENANCE September 1916, Duncan MacGregor Whyte travelled to Perth via Queensland and Sydney, PAINTED: circa 1914 during Whyte’s ten years in Western Australia, Queensland and New South staying in Perth for nearly five year. He had received his artistic training at Glasgow before studying Wales; at the State School at Antwerp (circa mid-1890s) under Pieter van Havermaet [1834-1897] and at PURCHASED: 1992 from Leonard Joel’s. Paris’s Académie Delecluse (late-1890s) under Auguste Joseph Delecluse [1855-1928], Georges On 10th May 1913, Duncan MacGregor Whyte arrived in Callot [1857-1903] and Paul Delance [1848-1924]. In Western Australia, Whyte was associated Sydney from Vancouver (Canada) and Hawaii, planning to with James Linton and John Horgan and also taught “Outdoor Painting Classes in Oils and visit his four brothers. Within two months, he was Watercolours” at Leadersville (Perth). In September 1916 and March 1919, he held solo advertising “Outdoor Sketching Classes” in Sydney, but exhibitions at St George House and Webb & Webb Gallery in Perth. the following year, he travelled to St George, Queensland where he stayed for two years. In September 1916, he AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS WHO PAINTED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA {WIP} travelled to Perth, staying for nearly five year. In Perth, he TIER ONE TIER TWO TIER THREE was associated with James Linton and John Horgan and received numerous portrait commissions Whyte taught ARTHUR W. BASSETT WILLIAM DELAFIELD COOK ? FLORENCE ADA FULLER HERBERT J. DALY “Outdoor Painting Classes in Oils and Watercolours” at GEORGE PITT MORRISON DAISY ROSSI Leadersville (Perth). While Whyte was well-known as a JOSEPHINE MUNTZ-ADAMS portrait painter, he also produced numerous beach KATHLEEN O’CONNOR scenes, landscapes and paintings of everyday life that are DUNCAN MACGREGOR WHYTE highly prized today. In 1921, he returned to Scotland. FREDERICK M. WILLIAMS

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IMPRESSIONISM IN QUEENSLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA {EXCERPT} Little research has been conducted on Australian Impressionism in Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, the current belief being that while Australian Impressionists painted in these states, they did not influence other local artists. I believe this is too simplistic and research is required to identifier the Impressionism influences in these states. Artist like Queenslander Bessie Gibson and South Australian Bessie Davidson spent almost their entire artistic careers in Europe, and until recent years have been all but forgotten in Australia. Queensland’s impressionistic history is quite sketchy. After her marriage in 1898, Josephine Muntz-Adams moved to Brisbane, her husband dying five years later. Between 1900s and 1910s, Muntz-Adams exhibited extensively and taught paining privately and between 1917 and 1922, she taught art at Brisbane’s Central Technical College, afterward returning to Melbourne. Another impressionistic influence in Queensland was Vida Lahey who initially received her artistic training at the Brisbane Central Technical College under Godfrey Rivers, later studying at the National Gallery of Victoria School under Bernard Hall and Frederick McCubbin. Her colourful cityscapes, landscapes, beach scenes and still-lifes made her Queensland’s premier post-impressionist. In South Australia, Marie Tuck [1866-1947], who was raised at Mount Torrens, spent eight years studying and painting in France, including instruction from Rupert Bunny. Tuck returned to Adelaide in 1914 and painted in a French-influenced, post-impressionistic style, her artworks revealing a flair for depicting people in country scenes. Little is known of the artists’ camps of South Australia. However, on 5th October 1899 the Adelaide Advertiser reported “Mr (James) Ashton referred to the artists’ camps that had been held during the year, the most successful of which was that at Seppeltsfield (western side of Barossa Valley). He also spoke of the success that had attended the monthly meetings (of Easel Club), in the number of sketches that had been shown, an average of over 40 having been exhibited at the meetings.” In the late-19th century, Arthur & Minnie Boyd, Albert Henry Fullwood, John Mather, Bertha E. [181] James A. Crisp [1879-1962] Merfield, Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts visited and painted Tasmania. On 3rd April 1897, Sheep Grazing Albert Henry Fullwood was interviewed by a Hobart Mercury journalist, publishing his highly circa 1912; oil on board; 27.5 x 16.0 cm; supportive views in “The Impressionist School of Painting”. On 19th May 1900, the Hobart signed: “ J.A. Crisp” (lower left). Mercury reported that PROVENANCE “Fred McCubbin of the National Gallery at Melbourne is projecting the creation of an “artists' camp” PURCHASED: from John Williams. in Hobart next summer. This is a good and laudable idea, and will serve, if carried out, to advertise James A. Crisp is remembered for his paintings, Tasmania in a valuable way.” illustrations and etchings of Australian fauna. He drew Under these influences, Mabel Hookey, Blanche Murphy, Isabel Oldham and Louisa Swan many of these from subjects he kept as pets in his th backyard where he kept kookaburras, cockatoos, established an impressionist/post-impressionist practice in Tasmanian art in the early-20 century, magpies, wallabies and possums. From these subjects, a trajectory maintained in the 1930s by the return home from London of painters C.L. (Lily) Allport he captured not only the image but the character of his and from Sydney of the pastelist Florence Rodway. subjects.

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AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS WHO PAINTED IN QUEENSLAND {WIP} TIER ONE TIER TWO TIER THREE

JOSEPHINE MUNTZ-ADAMS ERNEST W. CHRISTMAS ? BESSIE (ELISABETH) DICKSON GIBSON JAMES A. CRISP JOHN LLEWELYN JONES NORAH GURDON FRANKIE PAYNE ARTHUR STREETON JESSIE C.A. TRAILL DUNCAN MACGREGOR WHYTE

AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS WHO PAINTED IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA {WIP} TIER ONE TIER TWO TIER THREE

JOSEPHINE MUNTZ-ADAMS ERNEST W. CHRISTMAS ? C. ASQUITH BAKER BESSIE DAVIDSON MARGARET PRESTON JESSIE C.A. TRAILL MARIE TUCK

[149] Ethel A. Stephens [1864-1944]

AUSTRALIAN IMPRESSIONISTS WHO PAINTED IN TASMANIA {WIP} Acadia Flowers TIER ONE TIER TWO TIER THREE circa 1930; gouache on board; 36.6 x 26.5 cm;

JULIAN R. ASHTON LILY ALLPORT ? signed: “ EAS ” (lower left). ALBERT HENRY FULLWOOD ARTHUR M. AND EMMA MINNIE BOYD Provenance FRED MCCUBBIN HAROLD BRYNE COLLECTIONS: circa 1930 traded between JOHN MATHER ELAINE E. COGHLAM EDWARD C. OFFICER JOHN ELDERSHAW Stephens and Coghlan at exhibition; 1930-1993 TOM ROBERTS NORAH GURDON Elaine Coghlan then by descent through family; FLORENCE RODWAY ELSIE F. HAKE (MRS BARLOW) PURCHASED: 1993 from Elaine Coghlan’s family. JESSIE C.A. TRAILL MABEL HOOKEY BERTHA E. MERFIELD BLANCHE MURPHEY ISABEL OLDHAM LILLA REIDY ETHEL A. STEPHENS LOUISA SWAN

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