Brett Whiteley
(Australia, England 07 Apr 1939–15 Jun 1992)
- Title
- Woman in bath
- Other titles:
- Woman in the Bath 4
Woman in bath IV
Woman in the bath 4 - Year
- 1963
re-worked 1964 - Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil, paper, graphite and tempera on plywood
- Dimensions
-
183.1 x 218.7cm board; 188.0 x 224.0 x 6.3cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed l.l., white oil "Whiteley". Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 2000
- Accession number
- 191.2000
- Copyright
- © Wendy Whiteley
- Location
- Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills
- Further information
Following his Sigean abstractions, Whiteley's increasing preoccupation with the female torso led to his bathroom series which preserved the warm colours of his abstractions while constrasting them with the bathroom's acid blues and greens. The series signalled his breakthrough as a figure draughtsman and his desire to make eroticism more explicit:
'All the paintings I have made in the last four years have been concerned one way or another with sex and the desire to record sensual behaviour.'
- Brett Whiteley 1964Focusing on the naked form of his wife Wendy in the bath, Whiteley's Woman in bath series, captured the tactility and tones of her flesh with a profound intimacy, rarely equalled in later paintings on this subject.
- Bibliography (26)
-
‘AGNSW current exhibitions: The London Years’, pg. 53., Look Aug 2012, Aug 2012, 53 (colour illus.). Article featured in ‘AGNSW exhibitions’.
Kathie Sutherland (Australia) (Author), Brett Whiteley: A sensual lilne 1957-67, Victoria, 2010, 102, 110-111 (colour illus.), 270. cat.no. LL1
'Years of enrichment: The society reaches another milestone' by Craig Bush, pg. 12-15., Look May 2009, May 2009, 13 (colour illus.), 14.
Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 103 (colour illus.).
'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.
The Brett Whiteley Studio (Australia, estab. 1994) (Author), Brett Whiteley: Interiors, Sydney, 2001. List of works.
'The year of giving generously' by Alejandra Szczepaniak, pg. 22-23., Look Dec 2000-Jan 2001, Dec 2000-Jan 2001, 23 (colour illus.).
'Indigo icon', pg. 25., Look Oct 2000, Oct 2000, 8 (colour illus., detail), 24 (colour illus.), 25.
'$3332,000 paid to see woman in bath' by Miranda Wood., Sun-Herald 30 Jul 2000, 30 Jul 2000, page unknown (colour illus.). Article about Gallery's purchase of this painting; review of 'Australian Icons' exhibition.
'Buyers pay till it Mertz, and will keep works at home' by Georgina Safe, pg. 6., The Australian 30 Jun 2000, 30 Jun 2000, 6. Auction of Mertz Collection and purchase of 'Woman in bath IV' by AGNSW.
Christie's, Australia Pty. Ltd. (Australia) (Author), Christie's Australia. The Harold E Mertz Collection of Australian Art: Melbourne 28 June 2000, South Yarra, 2000, 71 (colour illus.). lot no. 57; estimated price $350,000 - $550,000; titled 'Woman in Bath IV'; dated 1964
'Year in review', pg. 8-20., Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2000 2000, 2000, 8.
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Brett Whiteley Art & Life, London, 1995, 22-23, 84-85 (colour illus.), 227. plate no. 32; titled 'Woman in bath'; dated 1964; NOTE: this work was not in the exhibition; general reference to bathroom series
Sandra McGrath (United States of America; Australia) (Author), Brett Whiteley, Kensington, 1979, 38, 40.
New York Graphic Society (United States of America), Art since mid-century: The New Internationalism, Greenwich, 1971, 85 (illus.), 87, 88. vol.2 Figurative Art; plate no. 92; NOTE: this image depicts the early version of the painting before re-working
'Australian Art'., Life 03 Apr 1967, 03 Apr 1967, 28 (colour illus.). titled 'Woman in Bath'
Ross K Luck (Australia, active 1967), The Australian painters 1964-1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Adelaide, 1967, 28, 66 (colour illus.). cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath', dated 1964
Bulletin of the National Gallery of South Australia Apr 1966, Apr 1966, front cover (illus.). Reproduction shows interior shot of the Mertz Collection exhibition with 'Woman in bath' on wall in the Intermediate Gallery.
Editor Unknown (Editor), Adelaide Festival of Arts 1966: Special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia, Unknown, 1966, not paginated. cat.no. 97; titled 'Woman in Bath VI'; not dated
'It's his wife!!"., Daily news 07 Jan 1965, 07 Jan 1965, page unknown (illus.). General review of T.E. Wardle Invitation Art Prize 1965
'Mostre a Londra' by Joseph Rykwert, pg. 48, Domus (no. 416) Jul 1964, Jul 1964, 48. General review of Marlborough exhibition
'Current and forthcoming exhibitions' by Anita Brookner, pg. 298., The Burlington Magazine Jun 1964, Jun 1964, 298. General review of Marlborough exhibition
'Bride in the bath' by Nevile Wallis, pg. 663-664., The Spectator 15 May 1964, 15 May 1964. General review of Marlborough exhibition
'Brett Whiteley: Marlborough New London Gallery' by Kenneth Coutts-Smith., Arts review [vol. 16, no. 8] 02 May 1964-16 May 1964, 02 May 1964-16 May 1964, page unknown. General review of Marlborough exhibition
Marlborough New London Gallery (England) (Curator), Brett Whiteley, London, Mar 1964, (illus.). not paginated; cat.no. 16; titled 'Woman in the Bath 4'; dated 1963
'Brett Whiteley: Classicism and actuality' by Charles S. Spencer, pg. 108-111., The Studio Mar 1964, Mar 1964. General review of Marlborough exhibition
- Exhibition history (20)
-
Brett Whiteley (1964), Marlborough New London Gallery, 23 Apr 1964–23 May 1964.
T.E. Wardle Invitation Art Prize (1965), Skinner Galleries, Perth, 02 Feb 1965–14 Feb 1965.
The Mertz collection of contemporary Australian painting: Adelaide Festival of Arts 1966, National Gallery of South Australia, 12 Mar 1966–11 Apr 1966.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, The Corcoran Gallery of Art, 10 Mar 1967–24 Apr 1967.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersberg, Florida, 24 Aug 1967–24 Sep 1967.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, University Art Museum (University of Texas), 26 Oct 1967–16 Nov 1967.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, State University of New York, 07 Dec 1967–28 Dec 1967.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, University of Alabama, 01 Feb 1968–07 Mar 1968.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Greenville Power & Light Company, 25 Apr 1968–16 May 1968.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, 12 Sep 1968–07 Nov 1968.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, West Virginia University, 12 Jan 1969–09 Feb 1969.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 14 Sep 1969–12 Oct 1969.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, 02 Nov 1969–30 Nov 1969.
The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection, Watkins Institute, 08 Feb 1970–08 Mar 1970.
Australian paintings of the 1960s: selections from the Mertz collection, Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas), 30 May 1984–21 Aug 1984.
Australian paintings from the Mertz collection, Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas), 01 Jun 1990–12 Aug 1990.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Brett Whiteley: Interiors (2001), The Brett Whiteley Studio, 14 Jul 2001–14 Oct 2001.
Iconic Whiteley (2009-2010), The Brett Whiteley Studio, 12 Sep 2009–Aug 2010.
The London years 1960-67 (2012), The Brett Whiteley Studio, 13 Jul 2012–13 Feb 2013.
