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An image of My garden by Fred Williams

Fred Williams

(Australia, England 1927–1982)

Title
My garden
Year
(1965-1967)
Media category
Painting
Materials used
oil on canvas
Dimensions

152.6 x 183.3cm; 154.8 x 185.2 x 5.1cm frame

Signature & date
Signed bot.c., black oil "Fred Williams". Not dated.
Credit
Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1999
Accession number
165.1999
Copyright
© Estate of Fred Williams
Location
20th & 21st c Australian art
Further information

"I repaint other people's paintings. See that there? That's 'Bailed up'. You know, Tom Roberts. I've just taken the figures out and repainted the background."
- Fred Williams 1969

One of Williams' greatest works, 'My garden' was painted in direct response to Tom Roberts' 'Bailed up', underlining Williams' strong allegiance to the Heidelberg School and especially to Tom Roberts, the Australian painter he loved most of all. In a singularly profound homage from one artist to another, Williams transmuted the golden glare of a relatively gentle New England landscape into his own painterly expression of the hot red heart of the continent; acting out his long-held declaration that 'Bailed up' was the most important landscape painting in this country.

Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000

Bibliography (17)

Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959) (Author), Fred Williams: infinite horizons, Canberra, 2011, 81, 82, 83 (colour illus.), 209, 227.

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 102 (colour illus.).

John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Art of Australia. Vol. 1: Exploration to Federation, Sydney, 2008, 582 (colour illus.), 583.

'A generous gift' by Judith White, pg. 13., Look Oct 2007, Oct 2007, 13 (colour illus.).

Terence Lane (Editor), Australian Impressionism, Melbourne, 2007, 281, 282 (colour illus.).

'Celebrating Fred Williams' by Hendrik Kolenberg, pg. 24-25., Look Nov 2004, Nov 2004, 24.

'Presenting our own artists: how the AGS put balance into the Australian collection' by Barry Pearce, pg. 42-44., Look: 1953-2003 celebrating 50 years May 2003, May 2003, 44 (colour illus.).

Art of the land 2002, 2002, 52 (colour illus.). Children's activities book

'Time makes its judgment' by Barry Pearce, pg. 2-3., The Weekend Australian 12 Aug 2000-13 Aug 2000, 12 Aug 2000-13 Aug 2000, 3 (colour illus.). This colour supplement is a 'Review Special' published for the 'Weekend Australian'. It consists of a four-page, colour wrap-around for the 'Weekend Australian Review'. 'The Australian' was the media sponsor for the AGNSW Exhibition 'Australian Icons', for the Olympic Arts Festival 2000.

'An artist's homage' by Judith White, pg.18-20., Look Feb 2000, Feb 2000, cover (colour illus.), 5 (colour illus.), 18 (colour illus.), 19, 20.

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 11 (colour illus.), 16, 302.

'Year in review', pg. 8-20., Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2000 2000, 2000, 8, 9 (colour illus.).

James Mollison (Australia, b.1932) (Author), Dana Rowan (Editor), A singular vision: the art of Fred Williams, Canberra, 1989, 86 (colour illus.), 87, 89, 91, 158, 253.

James Mollison (Australia, b.1932) (Curator), Fred Williams: a retrospective, Canberra, 1987, 12 (illus.). cat.no. 59

Patrick McCaughey (Northern Ireland; Australia, b.1943) (Author), Fred Williams 1927-1982, Kensington, 1980, 172, 180, 181 (colour illus.), 371. plate no. 89

Craig McGregor (Author), David Beal (Photographer), David Moore (Australia, b.1927, d.2003) (Photographer), Harry Williamson (Designer), In the making, Australia, 1969, 103 (colour illus.), 102-107.

'A painter apart' by Patrick McCaughey., Age 27 Sep 1967, 27 Sep 1967, page unknown.

Exhibition history (8)

Festival invitation art prize, Skinner Galleries, Perth, 14 Feb 1967–04 Mar 1967.

John Brack - Fred Williams (1967), Albert Hall Canberra, 01 Aug 1967–13 Aug 1967.

Fred Williams (1967), Georges Gallery, 25 Sep 1967–14 Oct 1967.

Fred Williams: a retrospective, National Gallery of Australia, 07 Nov 1987–31 Jan 1988.

Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.

Fred Williams: infinite horizons, National Gallery of Australia, 12 Aug 2011–06 Nov 2011.

Fred Williams: infinite horizons, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 07 Apr 2012–05 Aug 2012.

Fred Williams: infinite horizons, Art Gallery of South Australia, 31 Aug 2012–04 Nov 2012.