Need a little extra sunshine in your life after the winter that was? Then we recommend a splash of Arthur Streeton’s gloriously glowing depictions of Sydney and surrounds, stat.
The Art Gallery of NSW is hosting a major retrospective of his gloriously impressionistic take on the city and the bush surrounding her, as well as his more pastoral works straddling the turn of the 20th century. “Arthur Streeton’s brilliant evocations of light, land and sea are among the most enduring paintings for many Australians,” gallery director Michael Brand says. “This exhibition reveals the seminal role he played in defining a unique vision of Australia, while exploring the evolution of his art over six decades.”
The adventuresome painter also took in trips to Egypt, England, Italy and France, and captured the momentous devastation of the First World War. He was also a champion of the environment, and a fervent activist on that front.
Exhibition curator Wayne Tunnicliffe says Streeton is a revealing study of the artist’s life and art. “Arthur Streeton was a sensitive and deeply romantic bohemian who eventually became one of the most commercially successful and popular artists of his generation. Along with artist friends and peers, including Tom Roberts and Charles Conder, Streeton developed an Australian version of impressionism, the new art movement embraced by more radical artists around the world in the 1880s.”
We can’t wait to check it out. You can find more info and book tickets here. The first exhibition of his work in 25 years, it collects 150 works sourced from public and private collections, including a sneak peek at some absolute gems that haven’t seen the light of day for over a century. Now that is a real ray of light.
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