Yesterday, I took the boys to see the McCubbin exhibition on the the National Art Gallery.
Though Frederick McCubbin is most well known for his earlier works depicting the Australian Bush (see picture below), this exhibition was more about his later works.
"The Pioneer"
McCubbin went on a trip to Europe and England in the early 1900s, saw many of the Impressionist and Pointillist paintings on display there and came back with a new vision for his painting. His work became less about telling a story, such a in "The Pioneer" and "Down on His Luck" and more about the scene, the landscape, being the focus.
The guide who took us through the tour was just wonderful. She spent time teaching the children how to study a painting – the foreground, middle ground, background, the underpainting that would have been done on canvasses, and tools used to paint and create certain techniques. She also got them to examine colour, especially the use of complementary colours throughout his later work. One painting "Violet and Gold" even has those aspects highlighted in the name.
"Violet and Gold" 1911
Our guide was enthusiastic, focusing on the atmosphere, light, the reflections and moods of each picture. One, showing two men using a double saw to cut down a fallen tree, she described as "mesmerizing". The absorption of the men, the rhythm of the work was instantly evoked in this painting. I loved the fact that our guide didn’t talk down to the children but rather explained terms and descriptions as she went along.
Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the art work. My younger two, with me in this group, found it interesting as well and they want to see McCubbin’s earlier work.
We’ll have to schedule that in when we next visit Melbourne, which houses the best collection of Australian Impressionists in Federation Sq. For those who can, go to the exhibition, it is a wonderful collection, set out beautifully in the temporary exhibition hall. You have until 1 November but I would suggest NOT leaving it until the last minute!
No comments:
Post a Comment