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Collection

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Elioth Gruner

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

Title

Spring frost

Place of origin

Emu Plains → New South Wales → Australia

Year

1919

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

131.0 x 178.7cm stretcher; 157.5 x 206.3 x 14.0cm frame

Signature & date

Signed and dated l.r., black oil "E GRUNER/ 1919".

Credit

Gift of F G White 1939

Accession number

6925

Location

20th & 21st c Australian art

Further information

Awarded the Wynne Prize in 1919 and painted the same year as Roland Wakelin’s and Roy de Maistre’s experiments in colour harmony, 'Spring frost' is one of Elioth Gruner’s most critically acclaimed achievements. With its impeccable sense of light and tone, and its vigorous foreground brushwork, 'Spring frost' is a tour de force, and perhaps the most loved Australian landscape painting in the Gallery.

Elioth Gruner painted 'Spring frost' according to 19th-century plein-air conventions, but the work also demonstrates a contemporary succinctness of form. To complete the painting – one of his largest compositions – en plein air, Gruner built a structure to protect the canvas from the weather, and wrapped his legs with chaff bags to avoid frostbite. Although painted largely outdoors at Emu Plains, its large size and somewhat theatrical quality make it likely that Gruner completed parts of it later, in his city studio.

Bibliography (45)

‘New Australia’ by Wayne Tunnicliffe and Deborah Edwards, pg. 24-27., Look May 2012, May 2012, 24 (colour illus.), 26.

'The Light Dawn' by Gill Godwin, pg. 4-6., The Arms Chronicle Jun 2010, Jun 2010, 4 (colour illus., detail).

'Great Uncle Jim', pg. 10., Look Dec 2007-Jan 2008, Dec 2007-Jan 2008, 10 (colour illus.).

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

'Milking works for a moment in the sun' by Bruce James, pg. 13., The Sydney Morning Herald 03 Apr 2002, 03 Apr 2002, 13 (illus.). Review of 'Parallel Visions' exhibition

In our own image: the story of Australian art 2002, 2002, 60 (colour illus.).

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection, Domain, 2002, 13 (colour illus., detail), 40, 41 (colour illus.), 143, 147.

Helen Verity Hewitt (Australia) (Author), Patrick White, painter, manqué: paintings, painters and their influence on his writing, Carlton, 2002, 8, 35.

'Shedding Light, photographs by the great Harold Cazneaux are seen in a new light alongside paintings of the time' by Natasha Bullock, pg.13, Look Aug 2001, Aug 2001, 13.

'ABN Amro teaches the art of "quiet" sponsorship' by Robin Robertson., The Weekend Australian financial review 05 Aug 2000-06 Aug 2000, 05 Aug 2000-06 Aug 2000, page unknown (colour illus.).

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 74, 101 (colour illus.), 300.

Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 135 (colour illus.).

Roslynn Haynes (Australia) (Author), Seeking the Centre, Cambridge, 1998, 162.

Joanne Raheb-Mol (Australia) (Author), Art & Mind, Melbourne, 1998, 44 (colour illus.). plate no. 3.18

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Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 28 (colour illus.).

Ian Burn (Australia; United States of America, b.1939, d.1993) (Author), National life and landscape - Australian painting 1900-1940, Sydney, 1990, 47. plate no. 53

Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 24 (illus.).

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Curator), Dinah Dysart (Australia) (Curator), The Wynne prize: an Australian landscape tradition, Sydney, 1986, 9, 17 (colour illus.), 25.

Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Editor), Jan Meek (Australia) (Editor), Portrait of a Gallery, Sydney, 1984, 36, 37 (colour illus.).

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), A century of Australian landscape: mood and moment, Sydney, 1983, 15, 62, 63 (colour illus.). cat.no. 42

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Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Elioth Gruner 1882-1939, Sydney, 1983, 15 (colour illus.), , 19, 20, 39. cat.no. 26

'Pierre Bonnard: Self-portrait in the dressing-room mirror' by Renée Free. European Collection 1., Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection Series 1981, 1981, (illus.).

William Splatt (Author), Barbara Burton (Author), 100 masterpieces of Australian painting, Adelaide, 1973, 128, 129 (colour illus.). plate no. 61

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Editor Unknown (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales picturebook, Domain, 1972, 96 (colour illus.).

Herbert Badham (Australia, b.1899, d.1961) (Author), A gallery of Australian art, Sydney, 1954, xii, xv, (colour illus.). plate no. 28

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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. VII; Collection: F.G. White, Esq.; not paginated

'Wynne art prize: 1919 award to Mr Gruner', pg. 7., The Sydney morning herald 19 Aug 1920, 19 Aug 1920, 7.

'Literature: Society of Artists' exhibition', pg. 3., The Queenslander 24 Jul 1920, 24 Jul 1920, 3.

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'Society of Artists: a strong Spring show', pg. 6., The Sydney morning herald 03 Oct 1919, 03 Oct 1919, 6.

Evening news 02 Oct 1919, 02 Oct 1919.

Exhibition history (16)

Society of Artists Spring Exhibition (1919), Education Department Gallery [Loftus Street], 04 Oct 1919–20 Oct 1919.

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

100 years of Australian painting (1948), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Apr 1948–17 May 1948.

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

A century of Australian landscape painting: mood and moment, Shanghai Art Gallery, Oct 1983–Dec 1983.

A century of Australian landscape painting: mood and moment, Peking Art Gallery, Oct 1983–Dec 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.

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.