Rupert Bunny
(Australia, France 29 Sep 1864–25 May 1947)
- Title
- Self portrait
- Year
- (circa 1895)
- Media category
- Drawing
- Materials used
- sanguine on buff wove paper with blue fibre
- Dimensions
-
32.4 x 25.1cm sheet (irreg.)
- Signature & date
- Signed l.r. with monogram, sanguine "RB". Not dated.
- Credit
- Accessioned 2000
- Accession number
- 299.2000
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Rupert Bunny was one of the most successful expatriate Australian artists of his generation, having spent most of his working life in France. He studied at Melbourne's National Gallery School before leaving for England in 1884 and France in 1886, where he remained, apart from short visits home before returning permanently to Melbourne in 1932. Bunny studied under Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921) in Paris for two years and was an exhibiting member of the Société des Artistes Francais from 1887. He became a member of the 'new' Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1901 and the Salon d'Automne in 1904. Bunny was a fine draughtsman and colourist who painted rhythmical figure compositions, favouring subjects from mythology, idyllic scenes of leisured life and landscapes of the south of France. Among many works by him in the Gallery's collection is the popular and monumental 'Summer time' c1907, purchased in 1928.
excerpt from Hendrik Kolenberg, Anne Ryan and Patricia James, '19th century Australian watercolours, drawings & pastels in the Gallery's collection', Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2005
- Bibliography (6)
-
Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Rupert Bunny: artist in Paris, Sydney, 2009, 160 (colour illus.), 202 (colour illus.). cabinet 11
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Patricia James (Author), 19th century Australian watercolours, drawing and pastels from the Gallery's collection, Domain, 2005, 10, 113 (colour illus.).
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection, Domain, 2002, 142.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), The portrait and the nude: Australian drawings from the collection, Sydney, 1990. cat.no. 7
Jane Clark (Australia) (Author), Bridget Whitelaw (Author), Golden summers: Heidelberg and beyond, Melbourne, 1985, 14 (illus.).
'An Australian quartette' by R Jope-Slade, pg. 390., The magazine of art 1895, 1895, 390 (illus.).
- Exhibition history (4)
-
The portrait and the nude: Australian drawings from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 18 Aug 1990–28 Oct 1990.
Bodyline, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre, 03 Feb 2001–08 Apr 2001.
Parallel Visions: Twenty-two artists from the Australian collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Feb 2002–May 2003.
19th century Australian watercolours, drawings & pastels, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Apr 2005–24 Jul 2005.
