The works of a Mount Duneed-born painter who became one of Australia’s greatest artists will be Geelong Gallery’s major exhibition for 2016.
The gallery announced it would host Land of the Golden Fleece – Arthur Streeton in the Western District from 27 February to 13 June.
“Historically, Geelong has been cited as a gateway to the Western District, so the focus of this exhibition is a natural project for the gallery and one that will be immensely popular with specialist and non-specialist audiences alike,” said the gallery’s director, Geoffrey Edwards.
“The fact of Streeton’s birthplace being at nearby Mt Duneed underscores the relevance of this exhibition for Geelong and Victorian audiences all told.”
The exhibition would focus on Arthur Streeton’s landscape paintings of Victoria’s Western District and associated coastal vistas from 1920 to 1932 and following his return from an extended period in Europe, the gallery said.
Some paintings would be familiar to Streeton fans but collectively the exhibition would be a “revelation” for patrons.
The exhibition would feature scenery from Lorne, Port Campbell, Dunkeld, Halls Gap and the Grampians.
The gallery had a couple of Streeton paintings in its own collection but sourced others from national and state galleries as well as from “a number” of private collections.
Streeton was born at Mount Duneed in 1867 before coming to prominence alongside fellow Australian Impressionist painters including Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts and Charles Conder in 1889’s 9 × 5 Impressions exhibition.
In 1891 Streeton’s Golden Summer, Eaglemont was exhibited at London’s Royal Academy of Arts to widespread acclaim. He lived in London between 1897 and 1923, visiting France and Italy while also making return trips to Australia for successful exhibitions.
Streeton continued painting after returning permanently to Australia in 1923. He died on 1 September 1943.
