Title

View of Sydney from St. Leonards. [by Conrad Martens].

Author

Australian Prints.

Source

[Not applicable]

Publication date

2007

Type

About the work

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

View of Sydney from St. Leonards.

This lithograph was produced early in Martens’ residency in Australia. Martens attempted to capitalise on the scarcity of local views available. He has given careful consideration to the vantage point of the view — the prosperous town in the middle ground separated from the original Aboriginal inhabitants by the expanse of Sydney harbour.

Martens sent a drawing to London to be put on stone by C. Graf, as he believed there were no competent lithographic draughtsmen in Sydney.

Although conceived in the English picturesque tradition, Martens strove to incorporate into this lithograph, the elements that made the scene uniquely Australian. He did this by “preserving the character and true delineation of the trees, plants, etc. in the landscape of this land...I have ever considered of great consequence so long as it does not amount to absolute servility.” (Martens letters, ML)

The lithograph was issued un-coloured, but some impressions (such as this) were hand-coloured by the artist in Sydney.

© Australianprints