Review of Joseph Brown collection at NGV

The exhibition of work donated by Dr. Joseph Brown, in the Ian Potter Centre, part of the National Gallery of Victoria, is a very wide showcase of Australian art of different periods. The artworks which make up the collection were given to the NGV in 2004 by Brown, who is an artist in his own right, and whose likeness is shown at the start of the collection, depicted by several famous artists. Walking through the exhibition the viewer is given a history of Australian art. Included are engravings from the first days of the colony and early European looking landscapes of Australia. There are Heidelburg era paintings from the late 19th century, and post impressionist works of the early 20th century. The Melbourne 'Angry Penguin' school of the 1940s is represented, as are colour field and abstract painting. Many modern and post-modern Australian painters of the later 20th century are in the exhibition. A few works by Australian Aboriginal artists are also included. I will discuss a few examples of works which I found appealing for different reasons, and give a general overview of the exhibition.

The collection of paintings was bequeathed to the museum by Joseph Brown, who is himself an artist. More than 150 works are on display at the Australian art building of the National Gallery of Victoria. He did not feel as though he was giving it away because by putting the works in a museum they were still very much a part of him. As he said about donating works for the exhibition, "I'm not giving it away because it is still here for me and everyone who is a citizen of Victoria and Australia. We are all part-owners of it." (The Age, 2004) Joseph Brown's presence is felt at the very start of the exhibition, with the large portrait Dr Joseph Brown by Wes Walters. It immediately attracts the viewers attention, in a room of small sketches and early Australian landscape paintings. It is obvious from the start that the man is an important figure in Australian art. For the paintings which he donated for this collection, are in fact the largest "single act of philanthropy ever made to an art museum in [Australia]" (Vaughan, 2004)

One of the most exciting things about the exhibition is that it includes some very early drawings from the first days of the colony in Sydney. It is very clever to start this exhibition with some engravings dating back as early as the one View in Port Jackson which, as is written on the print, was "Published July 13 1789". It is a coloured engraving showing aborigines in boats across the inlet. While the fires being lit in the boats are probably not historically accurate and seems dangerous, the print gives a sense of time and space to the exhibition, making a good beginning. Other early prints in this part of the exhibition show other depictions of natives and the early colonists. These sketches lead to much larger more detailed landscape paintings.
Some of the best 19th century Australian landscapes are represented in the collection. While some of the details of the countryside in these works are inaccurate such as the curved gum tree branches, they represent some of the best paintings during this period when the Australian landscape was painted as though it was part of Europe. Two magnificent paintings by Eugene von Guerard stand out, Spring in the valley of the Mitta Mitta with the Bogong Ranges in the distance (1863), a landscape with clouds and trees highlighted in pinks and orange light, and the huge Yalla-y-Poora (1864), a magnificent view of a wide open golden field basked in early morning sunlight, with many tiny details. Von Guerard's paintings are quite remarkable for these details, and it is fascinating to look at the tiny swans on the water, or the sheep, the men on horseback or the little windmill in the distance. Paintings by John Glover and Conrad Martens also show the early Australian landscape, which leads on to the next part of the exhibition; the painters who were born in Australia.

Paintings by artists around the time of the Heidelburg school in the late nineteenth century are represented in the collection. Most of these great artists such as Streeton, Davies, Fox and Russel are represented. Joseph Brown helped increase the popularity of some of these artists, especially John Russel in his capacity as an art dealer, he was "also responsible for rediscovering many artists and reviving reputations such as the Australian Impressionist John Peter Russel." (Vaughan, 2004) There is a lovely painting by Tom Roberts of an Islamic archway in Spain, called A Moorish doorway (1883), with its unique horseshoe arch. The composition and the lighting of the work are very pleasing, with the pale cream of the sunlit arch complimenting the darker pinks of the archway in shadow. A very simple painting, longer than it is wide, and without any people or animals, just an arch with some plants and a view of the city in the background, yet it achieves a beautiful effect. It is "crisply realistic, earthy in palette and flooded with sunlight." (Grant 2004: 70) Another magical work from this period is Autumn memories (1899) by Frederick McCubbin, showing a woman whose face is in profile sitting amongst a wonderful landscape of delightful colouring. She has been painted with the finesse of Renoir's portraits, while the surrounding landscape reminds the viewer of the painting he did five years later called The Pioneer, arguably the most famous painting at the entire National Gallery of Victoria. Interesting by being such an early work of a Boyd family member, is a work by Emma Minnie Boyd, the grandmother of Arthur Merric Boyd and the founder of the Boyd family artistic dynasty, Interior with figures, The grange dating from 1875.

A work by E Philips Fox, The bathers (1912) shows a nude female figure underneath some shrubs. The uneven sunlight which comes through the leaves on this work gives it a lovely quality. The rosy cheeks of her face and the bright yellow tones of the sunlight across the top of her body makes for a light cheerful feeling. The one part of her which is hidden from view is where the shadow of her hand covers her eyes, yet it is not showing her eyes which says something about her being in full view yet being unable to see the viewer. It is obvious that she is looking straight at the viewer, with that gesture people make when they cover their eyes in the bright glaring sunlight. This makes the viewer self conscious of their position. This work has the delicacy of some impressionist portraits of the 19th century, but with colouring like the nudes of Pierre Bonnard introduces the works of the twentieth century.

Most of the best known Australian artists from the 20th century are represented in the collection. Boyd, Nolan, Cossington Smith, Preston, Perceval, Williams, Tucker, Gleeson, Blackman, Brack, Smart and Booth are but some of the big names which are included. There is a large colourful reddish work by John Olsen; Man absorbed in landscape (1966) which is bright and cheerful. Another work is a highly detailed painting of many flowers by Margaret Preston, Flannel flowers (1938). Included also is Potato field (1948) by John Perceval, a field awash in imagery and wispy patterns. John Brack's painting of Two typists (1955) shows the uniform style he did which he thought typified people from 1950s Australia. Then there is the large three coloured black, red and yellow field painting by Peter Booth Untitled painting, which is reminiscent of the work of Mark Rothko. Grace Cossington Smith's bright serene coloured landscape Kuringai Avenue (1943) is in the collection, as is the very moving, expressionist, somewhat grotesque and shocking Christ Carrying the cross (1946/47) by Arthur Boyd. Paintings by post-modern artists as well as these modern works are also displayed.

Two works by Brett Whiteley in the collection are included in the final room of the exhibition. The figure of the sculpture of the White sacred baboon (1965), with its curving lines and warped shapes look a little off balance, yet it is interesting because of the way that parts of it look like a real animal, and yet they also look abstract. Next to it, is the large painting Still life with cornflowers (1976) which uses an overall palette of cream, orange and pink which contrasts to a hint of very deep blue to represent the flower and some of the shadows on the left side. The details and colour changes on the left balance with the large mass of plain colour on the right to produce an effect where the viewers eye is drawn to the left, yet pulls away to consider the work as a whole.

Several works by Aboriginal artists are included in the exhibition, however this is the only section of Australian art which is underrepresented. There are two wonderful watercolour paintings of the Hermannsburg school, the very Australian vibrant Western MacDonnell Ranges by Ewald Namatjira, the third son of Albert, and the calm and serene Ghost gum, James Range by Otto Pareroultja. A later work of the Papunya school is also included, the large Marlu Jukurrpa, kangaroo dreaming (1987) with its many closely arranged areas of colours, waterhole and kangaroo track symbols. Another work is some traditional aboriginal art from before European influence, Dunbuhman, sooty grunter/black bream (1948) a lovely bark painting showing a fish with many scales painted in ochre colours. While these works give a viewer a taste for some of the different periods of aboriginal art, four works still seems a little too few in an exhibition of more than 150 works of Australian art.

The Joseph Brown collection shows a wonderful display of a cross section of Australian art. Included are paintings from all major periods from colonial to Heidelberg, to twentieth century. Given this, the small Australian Aboriginal art section seems a little short. The individual works may not be the best works from the individual artists in their own right, but overall the effect of the exhibition is to really give an extremely broad sample of works, much width but possibly lacking somewhat in depth. It may have been more effective if it focused more on individual artists, rather than trying to choose one of everything. Considering the Ian Potter Centre already shows a much broader history of Australian art, a smaller exhibition inside it such as this one would be more effective if it focused on a single period or on individual artists, because it is not necessary to show again what the Ian Potter Centre does so well. It seems a perfect collection to have at Joseph Brown's personal home, yet it feels somewhat odd to have this gallery within a gallery at the National Gallery of Victoria. However, the collection is still a wonderful tribute to the great generosity of Dr Brown and his exquisite taste in Australian art through many different eras.


Bibliography

The Age (2004) Editorial, http://www.theage.com.au/articles/
2004/05/10/1084041336110.html
Arts Victoria News (2004) Joseph Brown Gift Now Open for all to enjoy,
http://www.arts.vic.gov.au/arts/
news/media/5JosephBrown.htm
Grant, K., Lane, T., Lindsay, F., Phipps, J., Smith, G., Thomas, D., Vaughan, G. et al (2004) The Joseph Brown Collection at NGV Australia, Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
National Gallery of Victoria (2004) The Joseph Brown Collection,
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/josephbrown/
index.html
Vaughan, G. (2004) Opening Speech from the Exhibition opening ceremony,
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/josephbrown/
resources/joseph_brown.mp3