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An image of Sydney tram line by Eveline Syme

Eveline Syme

(Australia 1888–06 Jun 1961)

Title
Sydney tram line
Year
(1936)
Media category
Print
Materials used
colour linocut printed from three blocks on thin ivory tissue
Edition
6/25
Dimensions

24.4 x 18.0cm blockmark; 30.8 x 22.8cm sheet

Signature & date
Signed l.r., pencil "EW Syme.". Not dated.
Credit
Purchased 1977
Accession number
338.1977
Copyright
© Reproduced with permission
Location
Not on display
Further information

Eveline Syme was born at Thames Ditton, England to Australian parents and grew up in Melbourne. She studied Classics at Cambridge University, and education at the University of Melbourne. She studied art in Paris between 1921 and 1924, attended La Grande Chaumière, the Académie Ranson (with Maurice Denis) and with André Lhote. In 1924 she returned to Melbourne, and in 1925 exhibited her first woodcut. By 1927 she was making linocuts, probably taught by Ethel Spowers, a close friend. She exhibited woodcuts, watercolours and a couple of colour linocuts at the Athenaeum, Melbourne in March 1928. In the same year she discovered the work of Claude Flight from his recent publication 'Lino-cuts' and, inspired by the 'modern' quality of the work, returned to London in January 1929 to study with Flight at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art, located in Warwick Square Pimlico. She spent some months travelling in Belgium and Italy, returning to Australia in April 1930. Syme also had a great interest in Japanese prints, reflected in the composition of this work with its high viewpoint.

Hendrik Kolenberg and Anne Ryan, 'Australian prints from the Gallery's collection', AGNSW, 1998

Bibliography (13)

'Members events', pg. 39-41., Look Sep 2012, Sep 2012, 39 (colour illus.).

Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne (Australia, estab. 2007) (Compilator), Deutscher and Hackett fine art auction: Melbourne 29 August 2012, Melbourne, 2012, 122, 123 (colour illus.). Another example of this work offered at the Deutscher and Hackett sale 'Works from the Wesfarmers collection of Australian art’, Melbourne, 29 August 2012, lot no. 73.

Caroline Butler-Bowdon (Australia) (Author), Annie Campbell (Australia) (Author), Shooting through: Sydney by tram, Sydney, 2009, 78, 79 (colour illus.).

Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), Printed images by Australian artists 1885-1955, Canberra, 2007, 200 (colour illus.). Collection of National Gallery of Australia

John Slater (England) (Author), Through artists' eyes: Australian suburbs and their cities 1919-1945, Melbourne, 2004, xi, 25 (colour illus.), 26. illus.no. 13

Mark Ferson (Australia) (Editor), Mary Nilsson (Australia) (Editor), Aspects of Art Deco in Australia: Sunrise over the Pacific, St Leonards, 2001, 101.

Jane Hylton (b.1950) (Author), Modern Australian women: paintings & prints 1925-1945, Adelaide, 2000, 81 (colour illus.), 126. Collection of National Gallery of Australia

Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Australian prints from the Gallery's collection, Sydney, 1998, 69 (illus.). cat.no. 58

Stephen Coppel (Australia) (Author), Linocuts of the machine age: Claude Flight and the Grosvenor school, England, 1995, (colour illus.), 184, 185 (illus.). cat.no. ESy 20; plate no. 43

Kay Vernon (Author), Harbour hymns, city songs: visions of Sydney from the collection, Sydney, 1990. cat.no. 83

Anna Waldmann (Australia) (Author), Project 39 - Women's Imprint, Domain, 1982. no catalogue numbers; not paginated

Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), Melbourne woodcuts and linocuts of the 1920's and 1930's, Sydney, 1981, (colour illus.), (illus.). Collection of Ballarat Fine Art Gallery; not paginated; no catalogue numbers

Jane de Teliga (Australia) (Author), Australian images: Prints, drawings and watercolours from the collection, Sydney, 1979, 10.

Exhibition history (5)

Australian images: Prints, drawings and watercolours from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Dec 1979–28 Jan 1980.

Project 39 - Women's Imprint (1982), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 01 Oct 1982–31 Oct 1982.

Harbour hymns, city songs: visions of Sydney from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 Jan 1990–11 Mar 1990.

Australian prints from the Gallery's collection (1998-1999), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Nov 1998–07 Feb 1999.

Shooting through: Sydney by tram, Museum of Sydney, 04 Apr 2009–18 Oct 2009.