Russell Drysdale

(England, Australia 07 Feb 1912–29 Jun 1981)

Title

Sunday evening

Other titles:

Sunday Afternoon

Year

(1941)

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on asbestos cement sheet

Dimensions

60.0 x 76.0cm board; 75.3 x 92.0 x 6.0cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.r. corner, black oil "Russell Drysdale". Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1942

Accession number

7217

Copyright

Location

20th & 21st c Australian art

Further information

Painted shortly after Russell Drysdale settled in Sydney, 'Sunday evening' is one of his earliest works depicting outback themes. It reveals the emergence of a style and approach to subject matter that signalled a radical break from his
previous experiments as a student. Exemplifying Drysdale’s skill as a draughtsman, the painting also confirms the importance of the figure in his work throughout his career.

Inspired by the empathy he felt for country people during the Depression, Drysdale depicted what he saw as the uniquely Australian qualities of life on the land. His approach in Sunday evening is influenced by fellow Australian artist Peter Purves Smith, by surrealism, and by the School of Paris artists Modigliani and Soutine. Drawing on these influences, Drysdale evolved his own distinctive vision of human existence on an ancient continent.

Bibliography (50)

Lou Klepac (Australia; Croatia, b.1936) (Author), Russell Drysdale: the drawings, Roseville, 2012, 24.

'Russell Drysdale refreshed' by Jill Sykes, pg. 23., Look Jul 2010, Jul 2010, 23 (colour illus.). Book review of Lou Klepac's Russell Drysdale book.

Greg McKeon (Australia) (Editor), Pasture degredation and recovery in Australia's rangelands: learning from history, Queensland, 2004, 120 (colour illus.). plate 2.4

'Margaret Preston: reviewing the landscape' by Deborah Edwards, pg. 19-23., Art Monthly Australia Dec 2002-Feb 2003, Dec 2002-Feb 2003, 20.

'Year in review', pg. 8-25., Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2002 2002, 2002, 15.

'Drysdale in focus' by Helen Campbell, pg. 22-23., Look Jul 2001, Jul 2001, front cover (colour illus.), 22 (colour illus.), 23.

Helen Campbell (Australia) (Author), Australian Collection Focus: Russell Drysdale Sunday evening 1941, Sydney, 2001, front cover (colour illus., detail), 2, 3 (colour illus.), 4-7, 8 (colour illus., detail).

Stuart Hill (Australia, b.1943) (Author), Martin Mulligan (Australia) (Author), Ecological pioneers: a social history of Australian ecological thought and action, Cambridge, 2001, 66-67.

Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 186, 198 (colour illus.), 199 (colour illus., detail), 300.

Aspects of Australian art 2000, 2000, (colour illus.). card no. 7: Russell Drysdale 'Sunday evening' 1941

'Sir Russell Drysdale (1912-1981)' by Bernard Smith., Art Monthly Australia Jun 1998, Jun 1998, 27.

'The past master' by John McDonald, pg. 12., The Sydney Morning Herald 11 Apr 1998, 11 Apr 1998, 12 (illus.). Spectrum Arts

'Russell Drysdale 1912-1981' by Helen Campbell, pg. 14-15., Look Apr 1998, Apr 1998, 14 (colour illus.).

Roslynn Haynes (Australia) (Author), Seeking the Centre, Cambridge, 1998, 167-168.

Christopher Allen (Australia) (Author), Art in Australia: from Colonization to Postmodernism, London, 1997, 140, 142.

Geoffrey Smith (Author), Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, Melbourne, 1997, 11, 38, 39 (colour illus.). cat.no. 3

Australian Encyclopaedia Vol. 6 1996, 1996, 2335 (colour illus.).

Gavin Wilson (Australia) (Author), The artists of Hill End, Sydney, 1995, 21-24.

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Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Terry Smith (Author), Australian painting 1788-1990, South Melbourne, 1991, 226-288, 245 (illus.), 559. Illus.no. 140

Ian Burn (Australia; United States of America, b.1939, d.1993) (Author), National life and landscape - Australian painting 1900-1940, Sydney, 1990, 189, 192-96.

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Andrew Sayers (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Drawing in Australia: drawings, water-colours, pastels and collages from the 1770s to the 1980s, Melbourne, 1989, 181. refered to as 'Sunday afternoon'

Jenepher Duncan (Australia) (Author), Dr Joseph Brown (Australia) (Author), Rod Andrews (Author), Margaret Plant (Australia, b.1940) (Author), Russell Drysdale, Clayton, 1987, 19.

Jennie Boddington (Australia, b.1922) (Author), Drysdale: photographer, Melbourne, 1987, 14 (illus.).

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Richard Haese (Australia) (Author), Rebels and precursors : the revolutionary years of Australian art, Ringwood, 1981, 260, 262 (colour illus.), 307.

Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Place, taste and tradition: a study of Australian art since 1788, South Melbourne, 1979, 247 (illus.). plate no. 92; titled 'Sunday Afternoon".

Robert Hughes (Australia; United States of America, b.1938, d.2012) (Author), The art of Australia, Ringwood, 1970, 191-193.

Geoffrey Dutton (Australia, b.1922, d.1998) (Author), Russell Drysdale, London, 1964, 21-26.

Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Australian Painting 1788-1960, South Melbourne, 1962, 240-244, 245 (illus.), 246-247.

'Drysdale - his paintings come back' by F.W.L. Esch., Pix 08 Oct 1960, 08 Oct 1960, 33, 34 (illus.).

'Russell Drysdale' by James Gleeson, pg. 39-43., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Oct 1960, Oct 1960, 40 (illus.), 41.

'Russell Drysdale' by Hal Missingham, pg. 16-17., Currency Oct 1960, Oct 1960, 16, 17 (illus.).

Daniel Thomas (Author), Paul Haefliger (Australia, b.1914, d.1982) (Author), Russell Drysdale; a retrospective exhibition of paintings from 1937 to 1960, Sydney, 1960, 54. cat.no. 14

Russell Drysdale: retrospective exhibition 1937 - 1960 1960, 1960. cat.no. 14

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Laurie Thomas (Australia, b.1915, d.1974) (Author), Contemporary Australian painters, Ottawa, 1957. cat.no. 28

Joseph Burke (Australia, b.1913, d.1992) (Author), The paintings of Russell Drysdale: reproducing fifteen plates in colour with an essay by Joseph Burke, Sydney, 1951, 49.

Sydney Ure Smith (Australia, b.1887, d.1949) (Editor), Present day art in Australia, Sydney, 1949, 14 (illus.). titled 'Sunday Afternoon'

Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Place, taste and tradition: A study of Australian art since 1788, Sydney, 1945, 237 (illus.), 233-240. plate no. 92. The title of this work in this publication is 'Sunday Afternoon'.

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Exhibition history (22)

Exhibition of Landscape Paintings, Macquarie Galleries, 25 Jun 1941–07 Jul 1941.

Russell Drysdale (1942), Macquarie Galleries, 11 Mar 1942–30 Mar 1942.

Contemporary Australian painting from the National collection, Exhibition Venue Unknown, 1946–1950.

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

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), Winnipeg Art Gallery, Jul 1957–Sep 1957.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), London Public Library and Art Museum, Sep 1957–Oct 1957.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), Art Gallery of Hamilton, Oct 1957–Nov 1957.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, Nov 1957–Dec 1957.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Dec 1957–Jan 1958.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Feb 1958–Mar 1958.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), The Art Gallery of Toronto, Apr 1958 -.

Contemporary Australian Painters (1957), The Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina College, May 1958 -.

Russell Drysdale: a retrospective exhibition of paintings from 1937 to 1960, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 05 Oct 1960–06 Nov 1960.

Russell Drysdale: A retrospective exhibition; paintings 1937-1960 (Queensland Art Gallery), Queensland Art Gallery, 22 Apr 1961–28 May 1961.

Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 19 Dec 1997–09 Mar 1998.

Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 27 Mar 1998–10 May 1998.

Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, Queensland Art Gallery, 18 May 1998–28 Jun 1998.

Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory, 20 Jul 1998–30 Aug 1998.

Russell Drysdale 1912-1981, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 23 Sep 1998–15 Nov 1998.

Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.

Australian Collection Focus: Russell Drysdale Sunday evening 1941, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 30 Jun 2001–23 Sep 2001.

"When I was young...": artists' impressions of childhood, Global Arts Link, 09 Nov 2002–02 Feb 2003.