John Passmore
(Australia 04 Feb 1904–09 Oct 1984)
- Title
- Up the orchard
- Year
- 1946
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
-
51.2 x 61.5cm stretcher; 67.8 x 78.1 x 5.0cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed l.r. corner, red oil "JP 46".
- Credit
- Bequest of Lucy Swanton 1982
- Accession number
- 187.1982
- Copyright
- © John Passmore Museum of Art
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Passmore's early work in England was greatly influenced by the paintings of Cézanne, which he would have seen in various public collections in London, and in books that he purchased, as quoted by Robert Hughes in 1966:
"I learnt the significance of what was being done in painting in France. Influenced first by ideas of Picasso, and later by Cézanne which could be endless but for one eye being forced towards the greater creative forces felt in work of Tintoretto and Rembrandt - conflicto necessario."In early 1940, working from a cottage in Suffolk belonging to his art director at Lintas, Reg Jenkins, Passmore absorbed Cézanne's theories and began to paint landscapes near the house and invent compositions of nude bathers reminiscent of works by the French master. 'Up the orchard' is actually a view of the long back garden. Passmore recounted this period in 1984:
"Gooseberry Cottage was half-way between Constable's country, which was in Dedham Vale to the north-east, and Gainsborough's country which was in the opposite direction. It was a rural thing you see. But the character of Cézanne wasn't a rural thing ... the character of Cézanne was one of learning to paint ... There's two things about Cézanne - you can imitate him as much as you like and you can fall flat on your face ... what you have to do is study him as deeply as he studied himself."Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000
- Bibliography (2)
-
Ursula Prunster (Australia) (Curator), Australian painters; Seeing Cézanne, Sydney, 1998, 30. cat.no. 21
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), John Passmore 1904-84, Sydney, 1984, 37 (colour illus.). cat.no. 10
- Exhibition history (9)
-
An exhibition of paintings and drawings from the collection of Lucy Swanton (1960), War Memorial Art Gallery, University of Sydney, 02 May 1960–13 May 1960.
John Passmore Retrospective (1984-1985), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Dec 1984–10 Feb 1985.
John Passmore Retrospective (1984-1985), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 27 Feb 1985–07 Apr 1985.
John Passmore Retrospective (1984-1985), Newcastle Region Art Gallery, 12 Jul 1985–18 Aug 1985.
Australian Painters Seeing Cézanne, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 28 Nov 1998–17 Jan 1999.
Australian Painters Seeing Cézanne, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, 05 Feb 1999–21 Mar 1999.
Australian Painters Seeing Cézanne, Newcastle Region Art Gallery, 07 May 1999–20 Jun 1999.
Australian Painters Seeing Cézanne, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, 16 Sep 1999–31 Oct 1999.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
