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Collection

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Elioth Gruner

(New Zealand, Australia 16 Dec 1882–17 Oct 1939)

Title

Morning light

Other titles:

The morning light

Place of origin

Emu Plains → New South Wales → Australia

Year

1916

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas on cardboard

Dimensions

40.6 x 45.1cm board; 51.7 x 56.9 x 5.0cm frame

Signature & date

Signed and dated l.r. corner, black (oil?) "E. GRÜNER/1916".

Credit

Purchased 1916

Accession number

677

Location

20th & 21st c Australian art

Further information

Often regarded as the last of the Australian impressionists, Elioth Gruner established his reputation as perhaps the country’s most accomplished and lyrical painter of light. While working as a draper’s assistant at Farmer’s department store, Gruner studied at Julian Ashton’s Sydney Art School, eventually becoming Ashton’s assistant at the school in 1914.

Early in his career, Gruner became inspired by influential Melbourne-based artist and tonal theorist Max Meldrum. The broken brushwork in the fore-ground of 'Morning light' also reflects the influence of E Phillips Fox, as well as the modernist experiments of his younger contemporaries Roland Wakelin and Grace Cossington Smith.

'Morning light' was awarded the 1916 Wynne Prize and immediately purchased by the trustees. It was the first work by Gruner to enter its collection. The work is hailed as the high point of Gruner’s Emu Plains series of 1915–19 and is one of his greatest masterpieces.

Bibliography (49)

Dr Joseph Brown (Australia) (Editor), The CBUS collection of Australian art, Melbourne, 2009, 41.

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), I blame Duchamp: my life's adventures in art, Surry Hills, 2009, 331.

'Gruner lives! Old works a hit with young viewers' by Alicia Parlby, pg. 12., Look Dec 2003-Jan 2004, Dec 2003-Jan 2004, 12 (colour illus.).

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection, Domain, 2002, 12, 40 (colour illus.), 143, 147.

Chris Deutscher (Australia) (Author), Australian modern masters and 19th & 20th century Australian and International Fine Art: Fine Art auction 3 & 4 May 2000, Melbourne, 2000, 100. reference to work in association with lot 62 'Bronte Beach'

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 100 (colour illus.), 300.

Look Mar 1998, Mar 1998, 4 (colour illus.).

Look Feb 1998, Feb 1998, 4 (colour illus.).

'Wynne Centenary' by Helen Campbell, pg. 20-21., Look Apr 1997, Apr 1997, 21 (colour illus.).

Wynne centenary 1897-1997: a selection of past winners from the Gallery's collection 1997, 1997, (colour illus.).

Mary Eagle (Australia, b.1944) (Author), Australian Modern Painting Between the Wars 1914-1939, Sydney, 1989, 38.

Daniel Thomas (Editor), Ron Radford (Australia, b.1949) (Assistant Co-ordinator), Creating Australia: 200 years of art 1788-1988, Melbourne, 1988, 150 (colour illus.), 246.

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Curator), Dinah Dysart (Australia) (Curator), The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition, Sydney, 1986, 6, 9, 11 (illus.), 19, 25.

'Victorian favourites: a conversation - Elwyn Lynn and Lloyd Rees', pg. 49-56., Art and Australia (Vol. 22, No. 1) Spring 1984, Spring 1984, 52.

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Elioth Gruner 1882-1939, Sydney, 1983, cover (colour illus.).

'Elioth Gruner: Morning Light' by Barry Pearce. Australian Collection 2., Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection Series 1981, 1981, cover (colour illus.), back (illus.).

Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Australian collection 2, Sydney, 1981, (colour illus.).

Laurie Thomas (Australia, b.1915, d.1974) (Editor), 200 Years of Australian painting, Rushcutters Bay, 1971, 35 (colour illus.).

Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Lloyd Rees Retrospective, Sydney, 1969, 7.

Dennis Colsey (Australia) (Author), Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), One hundred years of Australian landscape painting: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1968, Sydney, 1968, 12, 13 (illus.). cat.no. 11; titled 'The Morning Light'

'Gruner ... apostle of the dawn' by Leon Gellert., Sunday telegraph 22 Jan 1967, 22 Jan 1967, unknown.

Dominion Galleries (Australia, estab. circa 1962, closed circa 1966) (Author), Retrospective Exhibition Julian Ashton Art School 1895–1965, Sydney, 1965. cat.no. 13

'The Wynne and Sulman prizes' by Douglas Dundas, pg. 53-56., Art Gallery of New South Wales quarterly Jan 1961, Jan 1961, 54.

Art Gallery of Western Australia (Australia) (Author), Four Australian Painters: Streeton, Dobell, Gruner, Perth, 1960. cat.no. 30

Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Domain, 1953. cat.no. 79

Laurie Thomas (Australia, b.1915, d.1974) (Editor), Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Sydney, 1951, 36. cat.no. 81; catalogue indicates the work is reproduced, however no reproduction appears

Illustrated list of Australian prints published by Legend Press for School and Home use, Sydney, circa 1948, (colour illus.). cat.no. F

'Gruner, a poet in paint' by Basil Burdett., The Herald 06 Jul 1940, 06 Jul 1940, (illus.).

Trustees of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia) (Author), Elioth Gruner memorial loan exhibition, Sydney, 1940, 1, 3. cat.no. 9

National Gallery of Victoria [Swanston Street] (Australia, estab. 1869, closed 1968) (Author), Elioth Gruner memorial loan exhibition, Melbourne, 1940. cat.no. 62

'Elioth Gruner', pg. 14., The Sydney morning herald 21 Oct 1939, 21 Oct 1939, 14.

Lionel Lindsay (Australia, b.1874, d.1961) (Author), 150 years of Australian art, Sydney, 1938. cat.no. 711; titled 'The morning light'.

Royal Institute of Painters Galleries (England, estab. 1883, closed 1970) (Author), Artists of the British Empire Overseas Exhibition, London, 1937. cat.no 155

John Young (Australia), Henry Gibbons (Australia, b.1884, d.1972), The Sydney Art School retrospective exhibition 1890-1933, Sydney, 1933, (colour illus.). cat.no. 229

'Gruner's art: Gallery exhibition opens to-day'., Sun 21 Dec 1932, 21 Dec 1932, unknown. Exhibition review

National Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Loan exhibition of the works of Elioth Gruner, Sydney, 1932. cat.no. 33; titled 'The Morning Light'

Australia beautiful: the home pictorial annual 1931, 1931, 23 (colour illus.). Easter

'Clark art exhibition: notes on the artists: Elioth Gruner', pg. 3., The Mercury 08 Jul 1926, 08 Jul 1926, 3.

Australian Exhibition Commission (Australia) (Author), Catalogue: British Empire Exhibition (Wembley) 1924, 1924, 95. no catalogue numbers

Elioth Gruner (New Zealand; Australia, b.1882, d.1939) (Organiser), Catalogue of an exhibition of the works of Australian artists, Sydney, 1923. cat.no. 56

Elioth Gruner (New Zealand; Australia, b.1882, d.1939) (Organiser), The exhibition of Australian art to be held at the galleries of the Royal Academy London, 1923, Sydney, 1923. cat.no. 45

'Art Notes' by Jean Andrade., The New outlook [vol. 1, no. 8] 12 Jul 1922, 12 Jul 1922.

Julian Ashton (England; Australia, b.1851, d.1942) (Author), Norman Lindsay (Australia, b.1879, d.1969) (Author), The art of Elioth Gruner, Sydney, [1922], (colour illus.). plate no. X; not paginated

'Art in Australia', pg. 10., The morning bulletin 17 Mar 1919, 17 Mar 1919, 10.

'Seasonable gift books', pg. 3., The Queenslander 04 Jan 1919, 04 Jan 1919, 3.

'25 Years of Australian Art' by Lionel Lindsay., Art in Australia [vol. 1, no. 4] 1918, 1918.

'Wynne art-prize award, 1916', pg. 16., The Sydney morning herald 25 Nov 1916, 25 Nov 1916, 16.

'Society of artists', pg. 3., The Sydney morning herald 24 Nov 1916, 24 Nov 1916, 3.

Society of Artists (Australia, estab. 1895, closed 1965) (Author), Society of Artists Annual Exhibition, Sydney, 1916, (illus.). cat.no.115; titled 'Morning light'; priced 35gns

Exhibition history (38)

Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (1916), Society Rooms, Queen Victoria Markets, Nov 1916 -.

Exhibition of Australian art (1923), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], Jun 1923 -.

Exhibition of Australian Art (1923), Burlington House, 06 Oct 1923–03 Nov 1923.

British Empire Exhibition (1924), Empire Stadium, 23 Apr 1924–Oct 1925.

Loan exhibition of the works of Elioth Gruner (1932), National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 21 Dec 1932–21 Feb 1933.

The Sydney Art School retrospective exhibition, 1890-1933, Vickery's Galleries, 01 Mar 1933–28 Mar 1933.

The Centenary art exhibition (1934), Commonwealth Bank Chambers, 08 Oct 1934 -.

150 years of Australian art (1938), National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 27 Jan 1938–25 Apr 1938.

Elioth Gruner memorial loan exhibition (1940), National Art Gallery of New South Wales, 17 Apr 1940–31 May 1940.

Elioth Gruner memorial loan exhibition (1940), National Gallery of Victoria [Swanston Street], 05 Jul 1940–04 Aug 1940.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 12 Mar 1951–31 Mar 1951.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, 09 Apr 1951–28 Apr 1951.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 25 Jun 1951–21 Jul 1951.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Queensland Art Gallery, 06 Aug 1951–01 Sep 1951.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Art Gallery of South Australia, 24 Sep 1951–20 Oct 1951.

Jubilee exhibition of Australian art, Art Gallery of Western Australia, 12 Nov 1951–10 Dec 1951.

A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 25 Sep 1953–25 Oct 1953.

Four Australian Painters: Streeton, Dobell, Gruner, Boyd (1960), Art Gallery of Western Australia, 05 Feb 1960–29 Feb 1960.

Retrospective Exhibition Julian Ashton Art School 1895–1965 (1965), Dominion Galleries, 1965 -.

One hundred years of Australian landscape painting: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1968, Various, 1968–1969.

Elioth Gruner 1882-1939 (1983), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 Jul 1983–04 Sep 1983.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), S.H. Ervin Gallery, 19 Dec 1986–01 Feb 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, 06 Mar 1987–29 Mar 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Orange Regional Gallery, 10 Apr 1987–17 May 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Griffith Regional Art Gallery, 03 Jun 1987–20 Jun 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery, 01 Jul 1987–26 Jul 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Albury Regional Gallery, 07 Aug 1987–06 Sep 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Broken Hill City Art Gallery, 18 Sep 1987–26 Oct 1987.

The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition (1987), Tamworth City Gallery, 05 Nov 1987–13 Dec 1987.

The great Australian art exhibition, Queensland Art Gallery, 17 May 1988–17 Jul 1988.

The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of Western Australia, 13 Aug 1988–25 Sep 1988.

The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 21 Oct 1988–27 Nov 1988.

The great Australian art exhibition, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 21 Dec 1988–05 Feb 1989.

The great Australian art exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 01 Mar 1989–30 Apr 1989.

The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of South Australia, 23 May 1989–16 Jul 1989.

Wynne Centenary: 1897–1997 (1997), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Mar 1997–11 May 1997.

Parallel Visions: Twenty-two artists from the Australian collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Feb 2002–May 2003.

Elioth Gruner: Light and landscape (2010), New England Regional Art Museum, 30 Oct 2010–06 Feb 2011.