J J Hilder
(Australia 23 Jul 1881–Apr 1916)
- Title
- Deviation work
- Other titles:
- The deviation work
- Year
- (circa 1913)
- Media category
- Watercolour
- Materials used
- pencil, watercolour
- Dimensions
-
65.0 x 52.0cm sight
- Signature & date
- Signed l.r. corner, ?black watercolour "J.J. Hilder". Not dated.
- Credit
- Bequest of Julius Wilfred (Wilf) Hilder 2011
- Accession number
- 318.2011
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
J J Hilder was the most admired of all early 20th century Australian watercolourists who died very young of tuberculosis in 1916. 'Deviation work' is one of the biggest, most restrained and reductive of his watercolours, a poetic distillation of the qualities that set Hilder apart from his contemporaries and his many followers – painted in delicate, fluid and shimmering washes of watercolour, spare and original in composition. The subject is the Lithgow entrance (portal) to tunnel number 9, one of the deviations of the Zig-Zag railway line in the Blue Mountains during construction in 1913. There is another watercolour in a private collection by Hilder of the same railway tunnel from ground level.
The elevated view of the tunnel in strong sunlight in 'Deviation work' accentuates its abstract and poetic qualities, rather like Arthur Streeton's Fire's on (painting & watercolour), where incident is secondary to the intense midday summer light and its daring design.
- Bibliography (3)
-
Captain Brett Hilder (Australia, b.1911, d.1981) (Author), Lloyd Rees (Australia, b.1895, d.1988) (Author), The heritage of J. J. Hilder, Sydney, 1966, pg. 22-23 (colour illus.).. plate V 'The deviation work'; dated [incorrectly] 1911.
Hugh Speirs (Author), Manning Clark (Author), John Olsen (Australia; England; Spain; Portugal, b.1928) (Author), Landscape art and the Blue Mountains, Australia, 1981, pg. 8 (illus.). Plate no. 15; titled and dated [incorrectly] "The deviation work 1911 [Glenbrook Tunnel]".
Queensland Art Gallery (Australia, estab. 1895) (Author), Captain Brett Hilder (Australia, b.1911, d.1981) (Author), Jesse Jewhurst Hilder: anniversary exhibition, Brisbane, 1966. cat. no. 55
- Exhibition history (9)
-
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Queensland Art Gallery, 21 Apr 1966–15 May 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), City Hall, Toowoomba, 23 May 1966–29 May 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Newcastle City Art Gallery, 09 Jun 1966–03 Jul 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 14 Jul 1966–07 Aug 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, 18 Aug 1966–11 Sep 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), National Gallery of Victoria [Swanston Street], 22 Sep 1966–23 Oct 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 09 Nov 1966–04 Dec 1966.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), Canberra Theatre Centre, 15 Dec 1966–08 Jan 1967.
Jesse Jewhurst Hilder anniversary exhibition (1966-1967), National Gallery of South Australia, 19 Jan 1967–12 Feb 1967.
