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li1 c ) 1;: \l} i e\ \. \ .\ The University of Sydney Copyright in relation to this thesis* Unde r the Copyright Act 1968 (several provision of which are referred to below), this thesis must be used only under the normal conditions of scholarly fair dealing for the purposes of research, criticism or review. In particular no results or conclusions should be extracted (rom it, nor should it be copied or closely paraphrased in whole or in part without the written consent of the author. Proper written acknowledgement should be made for any assistance obtained from this thesis. Under Section 35(2) of the Copyright Act 1968 'the .uthor of a literary, dramatic. musical or artistic work is the owner of any copyright subsisting in the work', By virtUe of Section 32( I) copyright 'subsists in an original literary, dramatic. musical or artistic work that is unpublished' and of which the author was an Australian citizen, an Australian protected person or a person resident in Australia. 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THE HARVEST OF A QUIET EYE The intimate expression of nature in Australian landscape painting from the late nineteenth century to c.1940 by Avenel Mitchell A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy Department of Fine Arts University of Sydney August 1997 (c) Mitchell, A. 1997 I~ ii ABSTRACf This thesis analyses the broad spectrum of landscape painting in New South Wales and Victoria from the late nineteenth century to 1940. My aim is to position the intimate view within the diversity of landscape practice. I do this by constructing an inclusive and relational art history which reworks the landscape canon. My argument is based on an analysis of pictorial space in landscape art. I also focus on issues of gender as they intersect with dominant values of the landscape genre. I-=: iii ACKNO~EDGEMENTS To my supervisor, Virginia Spate, my profound thanks for her sustained support, intellectual wisdom, and inspiration. To my mother, who, in the late 1920s, hiked from Melbourne to Coolangatta and knew the Australian bush from within, my deep gratitude. To Deborah Edwards, Stevan Miller, Susan Schmocker, Kay Truelove, Ljubo Marun and Ray Woodbury from the Art Gallery of New South Wales; to John Spencer, Colette Hoeben and Vicki Parish from the Power Institute of Fine Arts; to Tina Graham and Margaret Roberts from the Local Studies Collection, Dee Why Library; to Jo Holder; to Catriona Moore; to Jim Alexander; my thanks for their advice and assistance. To my colleagues and friends, my thanks for their encouragement and understanding. Above all, to my dear sister, Hilary, my abiding thanks. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 Chapter 1 18 Chapter 2 41 Chapter 3 87 Conclusion 109 Bibliography 110 Plates v LIST OF PLATES 1. Alice Norton Dawn 1924 Watercolour on paper 36 x 62 ern Bequest of A.E. Stephens 1949 Art Gallery of New South Wales 2. Arthur Streeton The Land of the golden fleece 1926 Oil on canvas 49.9 x 76.5 ern National Gallery of Victoria 3. Still-Life Room, Showing Flower Painting East Sydney Technical College, 1909 4. Landscape Class at Work East Sydney Technical College, 1909 5. Clara Southern A Cool corner c.1915 Oil on canvas 76.5 x 61.4 ern Ballarat Fine Art Gallery 6. Margaret Coen The Glade c.1943 Watercolour on paper 50.5 x 41.5 ern Art Gallery of New South Wales vi 7. Ina Gregory The Forest Isle, Healesville Oil on canvas 73.5 x 43.2 em Private collection 8. Dora Hake Untitled (Wattle, river bank) c.1895 Oil on canvas Private collection 9. Jessie Evans (Wattle Reflections) c.1895 Oil on canvas 46 x 35.5 cm Priva te collection 10. Penleigh Boyd Yarra Wattles 1918 Oil on canvas 105 x 121 em Private collection 11. John Salvana Afternoon on the Namoi 1913 Oil on canvas 76 x 126.5 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 12. Christina Asquith Baker The River bank c.1900 Oil on canvas 74 x 60 em Private collection ,... vii 13. Elioth Gruner Landscape c.1919 Oil on canvas 31 x 39 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 14. Proclamation Wild Flowers and Native Plants Protection Act, 1927 15. A.M.E. Bale (Gum) c.1910 Oil on canvas 45 x 35 em Private collection 16. Nora Gurdon Youth and age Oil Private collection 17. Arthur Streeton The Untidy bush c.1924 Oil on canvas 62.2 x 75.2 em National Gallery of Victoria 18. A.M.E. Bale Last of the season c.1922 Oil on canvas 43.5 x 37 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales II viii I 19. Isobel Hunter Tweddle Flowerpiece c.1938 Oil on canvas on hardboard 61 x 50.8 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 20. Elioth Gruner On the Murrumbidgee 1929 Oil on canvas 101.7 x 122.2 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 21. Ina Gregory Our Garden c.1910 Oil on board 30.5 x 22.8 em Castlemaine Art Gallery 22. Hilda Rix Nicholas Knockalong Garden c.1934 Oil on canvas Private collection 23. Margaret Coen Oriental Harmony c.1938 Watercolour on cardboard 45 x 38 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 24. Hardy Wilson Sunlit Hydrangeas c.1920 Watercolour on paper 45.5 x 37 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales ix 25. B.E. Minns The Homestead garden 1933 Watercolour on paper 26 x 36.5 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 26. Hilda Rix Nicholas The Frugal meal c.1936 Oil on canvas Ballarat Fine Art Gallery 27. Hans Heysen Flowers and fruit (zinnias) 1921 Oil on canvas 70 x 82.7 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 28. Vida Lahey Morning News 1926 Oil on plywood 19.6 x 19.7 em Private collection 29. Vida Lahey In a garden 1925-26 Oil on plywood 20.4 x 20.3 em Private collection 30. Hilda Rix Nicholas The Little green gate c.1920 Oil Priva te collection x ! 31. A.M.E. Bale The Pathway c.1925 Oil on wood 20.2 x 20.2 em Castlemaine Art Gallery 32. Jessie Evans (Green Landscape) c.1895 Oil 51 x 35.5 em Private collection 33. Dora Serle (Untitled Landscape) Oil on canvas on board Private collection 34. Jessie Evans (In the bush) c.1895 Oil on canvas 69 x 39 em Private collection 35. Herbert Gallop The Farm, Ermington c.1935 Oil on canvas 64 x 76.5 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 36. Daryl Lindsay Landscape Eltham c.1925 Watercolour on paper 25 x 35 em Art Gallery of New South Wales I' xi 37. Muir Auld Winter Morning 1935 Oil on canvas on paperboard 40 x 45 an Art Gallery of New South Wales 38. Gladys Owen Late Afternoon, Bellevue Hill 1920 Watercolour on paper 44 x 33.5 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 39. Dorrit Black HeatHaze c.1919 Oil on canvas on paperboard 22.4 x 38.2 an Art Gallery of New South Wales 40. Hans Heysen The Track to the farm 1926 Oil on canvas 55.3 x 62.5 an Art Gallery of New South Wales 41. C.E.5. Tindall Gone Are the days 1902 Watercolour on paper on cardboard 39.5 x 63.5 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 42. Harold Herbert The Farm 1930 Watercolour, gouache on paper 32 x 47.4 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales xii 43. Hans Heysen The Farmyard gum 1936 Watercolour on paper 33 x 40.2 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 44. Gordon Coutts The Close of day 1900 Oil on canvas on hardboard 26.9 x 43.2 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales 45. Elioth Gruner Summer Morning 1916 Oil on canvas 30.7 x 40.7 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 46. Elioth Gruner New England 1921 Oil on canvas 34.3 x 44.5 em Art Gallery of New South Wales 47.