Title

Illumination, 19th June, 1920. [by Margaret Preston].

Author

Butler, Roger.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

1998

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Illumination, 19th June, 1920.

The prints, Butler (1987), 11-18, can all be dated to 1920. In each case the image measures approximately 21.5 x 27.5 cm. all are printed on thin Japanese tissue paper and with the exception of no. 12, are lightly hand-coloured.

Two of these prints have been seen in their original thin black frames; the paper is trimmed to the image, and there is no mount. The framing is based on the style used to frame Japanese prints at the time.

Impressions of these prints were later exhibited in Adelaide (1926). They were printed on larger sheets of paper and framed in mounts.

The prints are decorative, and most relate to the Mosman area where Preston lived. A report in the Evening News of 18 August 1920 stated that Preston “believes that there is a great future for this class of work for the decoration of flats. She has already started upon a series for a dado for her pretty flat in Mosman.”

Although no impression has been sighted, this print presumably falls into this group.

Illuminations were a popular form of decoration for boats in harbour on special occasions. Strings of coloured lights were strung from bows to masts to sterns of harbour craft.

The illuminations displayed from the 16 to 19 June 1920 were in honour of the Sydney visit of Edward, Prince of Wales. The Sydney Mail of 23 June 1920, p.17, reported:

“At a given signal from the [battle cruiser H.M.S.] Renown searchlights burst out from every ironclad, illuminating the heavens like a glorious visit of the Aurora Australis. Sky rockets, coloured flares and numerous pyrotechnicwonders followed, the scene being one of remarkable beauty and impressiveness.”

Preston’s print of the scene was exhibited only two months later and was obviously made as a souvenir of this most popular event.

© Australianprints

Last Updated

28 Sep 2020