Title

Sir John Longstaff: Portrait of a lady.

Venues

Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) [1]. (17 February 2012 – 22 April 2012)

Date

(2012)

Summary

Single-artist exhibition. Located: Australia (VIC). Paintings

Country of context

Australia

Abstract

Portrait of a Lady brings together, for the first time, a stunning selection of paintings of women by one of Australia's most highly regarded portrait painters, Sir John Longstaff. In the late 19th and early 20th century only the affluent and those of a certain social standing were able to have their portraits painted, and the works in this show thus provide a fascinating insight into Australian history. Many of the portraits are of the wives of wealthy, notable men, yet several had distinguished careers of their own, including suffragette Rose Scott, the distinguished flower painter Rowan Ellis and the writer, poet, radio broadcaster, and Longstaff biographer, Nina Murdoch. The portraits selected for this exhibition offer an opportunity to review the tradition of portrait painting through the career of a particularly talented and gifted painter, and to observe the development of Longstaff's style and technique over a period of five decades. Featuring works from SAM's collection as well as loans from the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of NSW, the National Library and numerous private collections, this is one of the most significant exhibitions of Shepparton's most celebrated artist ever staged. [Gallery publicity].