The National Gallery has lifted the lid on their latest exhibition:
Eugene von Guérard (1811–1901) is arguably Australia’s, and certainly Victoria’s, most important colonial landscape painter. Born in Vienna and trained as a painter in the European art centres of Rome, Naples and Düsseldorf; von Guérard migrated to Australia in 1852.
Von Guérard’s meticulous landscapes are remarkable in their detail and much valued for their depiction of Australian and particularly, Victorian, landscapes of the mid-1800s. This exhibition demonstrates how von Guerard’s artistic endeavours in Australia were informed by his interest in the geography, geology and vegetation of the Australian ‘New World’. His representations of the forests of Gippsland and the Otways, the crater lakes of Victoria’s volcanic Western District and the peaks of the Kosciuszko plateau hold important environmental significance today.
The work of von Guérard has not been the subject of a dedicated exhibition since 1980. Eugene von Guérard: Nature Revealed features over 150 works, including many of von Guérard’s beloved iconic landscapes, as well as several beautifully illustrated sketch books, and some never-before-seen paintings. Through his detailed brushstrokes and breathtaking compositions, visitors can explore the magnificent Australian, New Zealand and European landscapes he captured on his expeditions around the world.
[Image: Eugene von Guerard Lake Wakatipu with Mount Earnslaw, Middle Island, New Zealand (1877–79)
oil on canvas Auckland Art Gallery Toi o T?maki, New Zealand Mackelvie Trust Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o T?maki, purchased 1971]
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