Donald Friend

(Australia 06 Feb 1915–16 Aug 1989)

Title

Sofala

Other titles:

Sofala Street

Year

1947

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil, pen and ink on canvas

Dimensions

51.5 x 61.2cm stretcher; 76.5 x 86.8 x 8.0cm frame

Signature & date

Signed and dated u.r. corner, black oil "DONALD. 47".

Credit

Gift of Margaret Olley 1995

Accession number

140.1995

Copyright

Location

Not on display

Further information

"Its single street, deep in the Turon valley is lined with a forest of verandah posts: the whitewash on shanties and abandoned stores cannot disguise their age-hitching posts, spring carts and bearded old-timers drowsing in the shade create the atmosphere of a different world ...".
George Farwell, 1947

Jaded by a frenzied city existence, Donald Friend and fellow artist Russell Drysdale made a trip from Sydney to the Bathurst area in August 1947, prompted by an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the former gold-rush towns of the area. Stopping in Sofala, described in Friend's diary entry as 'a lovely crazy old village - perfect', the two artists made sketches of the main street from the same viewpoint.
Their respective paintings are a fascinating contrast of temperaments: Friend's quaint and light-hearted in mood, Drysdale's classical and brooding.

Friend was one of a remarkable group of figurative artists, dominated by Drysdale and Dobell and including Sali Herman and Jean Bellette, which flourished in spite of a tendency amongst a number of Sydney painters of the period, towards abstraction.

Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2001

Bibliography (11)

'Art and Australia: More views of European preludes and parallels' by Jackie de Diana, pg. 16-17., Look Nov 2010, Nov 2010, 13 (colour illus.).

Kathie Sutherland (Australia) (Author), Brett Whiteley: A sensual lilne 1957-67, Victoria, 2010, 32.

Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Donald Friend: a charmed life, Canberra, 2006. Checklist of works.

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection, Domain, 2002, 129 (colour illus.), 132, 143, 147.

Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Peter Pinson (Australia, b.1943) (Author), Gavin Fry (Author), Sasha Grishin AM (Australia) (Author), Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), Australian painters of the twentieth century, Roseville, 2000, 116 (colour illus.).

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 202 (colour illus.), 300.

Gavin Wilson (Australia) (Author), The artists of Hill End, Sydney, 1995, 38 (colour illus.), 118. plate no. 15

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Donald Friend Retrospective 1915-1989, Sydney, 1990, 58 (colour illus.). cat.no. 34; Collection: private collection

Margaret Olley Art Trust circa 1994, circa 1994, (colour illus.).

'Christmas art show stimulating' by Paul Haefliger., The Sydney Morning Herald 10 Dec 1947, 10 Dec 1947. page number unknown

'28 give Christmas art show' by Tatlock Miller., Sun 10 Dec 1947, 10 Dec 1947. page number unknown

Exhibition history (18)

Unknown, Macquarie Galleries, Macquarie Galleries, 10 Dec 1947–24 Dec 1947.

Christmas 1947, Macquarie Galleries, 10 Dec 1947–24 Dec 1947.

Unknown, Macquarie Galleries, Macquarie Galleries, 02 Jun 1948–14 Jun 1948.

Donald Friend Retrospective 1915-1989, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 09 Feb 1990–25 Mar 1990.

Donald Friend Retrospective 1915-1989, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 14 Apr 1990–06 Jun 1990.

Donald Friend Retrospective 1915-1989, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 26 Jun 1990–19 Aug 1990.

The Artists of Hill End, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 29 Jul 1995–17 Sep 1995.

The Artists of Hill End, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, 06 Oct 1995–19 Nov 1995.

The Artists of Hill End, New England Regional Art Museum, 10 Feb 1996–31 Mar 1996.

The Artists of Hill End, Broken Hill City Art Gallery, 19 Apr 1996–26 May 1996.

The Artists of Hill End, City of Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, 07 Jun 1996–29 Jul 1996.

Parallel Visions: Twenty-two artists from the Australian collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Feb 2002–May 2003.

Margaret Olley and Donald Friend (2006), Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, 09 Nov 2005–15 Jan 2006.

Margaret Olley and Donald Friend (2006), S.H. Ervin Gallery, 21 Jan 2006–19 Mar 2006.

Margaret Olley and Donald Friend (2006), Dell Gallery, 22 Apr 2006–28 May 2006.

Donald Friend: A charmed life, National Library of Australia, 09 Nov 2006–04 Feb 2007.

Australian modern masterpieces from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, 05 Oct 2011–27 Nov 2011.

Australian modern masterpieces from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, 10 Dec 2011–04 Mar 2012.