Rupert Bunny
(Australia, France 29 Sep 1864–25 May 1947)
- Title
- (Siren)
- Other titles:
- Siren
- Place of origin
-
Paris →
France
- Year
- (circa 1898)
- Media category
- Materials used
- colour monotype, printed on thick white wove paper
- Dimensions
-
34.6 x 24.9cm platemark; 49.9 x 32.6cm sheet
- Signature & date
- Signed in plate with monogram to print u.r., "RCWB". Not dated.
- Credit
- Purchased 1969
- Accession number
- DA20.1969
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Rupert Bunny was born in Melbourne and studied at the National Gallery School under Oswald Campbell and George Folingsby 1881-83. He travelled to Germany and England with his father in 1884 and studied at St Johns Wood Art School under Phillip Calderon, and in Paris under Jean Paul Laurens, Leon Glaize and Benjamin Constant. One of the most important of Australian expatriates, Bunny remained in Paris, taking part in its artistic and musical life; he did not return permanently to Australia until the death of his French wife in 1932.
An early exponent of the colour monotype, Bunny first exhibited them in London in 1898. He continued to produce monotypes at various times in his life. The technique was popular with many artists in Paris in the 1890s, Edgar Degas in particular. In 1920 Bunny produced over one hundred for Galerie Georges Petit in Paris who exhibited them in 1921 and 1924; when he returned to Australia he brought all those remaining with him and exhibited them in Melbourne and Sydney in 1941 and 1943.
Hendrik Kolenberg and Anne Ryan, Australian prints from the Gallery's collection, AGNSW, 1998
- Bibliography (10)
-
'Rupert Bunny: An exotic in the history of Australian art' by Deborah Edwards, pg. 28-32., Look Nov 2009, Nov 2009, 31 (colour illus.).
Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Rupert Bunny: artist in Paris, Sydney, 2009, 135 (colour illus.), 143, 208 (colour illus.). cat.no. 93
Desmond Macaulay (Author), Bettina Macaulay (Author), Singing in the heart: Music and the art of Rupert Bunny, Queensland, 2007, front cover (colour illus.), 37 (colour illus.), 107. no catalogue numbers
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Parallel visions: works from the Australian collection, Domain, 2002, 142.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Australian prints from the Gallery's collection, Sydney, 1998, 33 (colour illus.). cat.no. 17
Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Fin de Siècle, Sydney, Jan 1994.
Deborah Edwards (Australia) (Author), Stampede of the Lower Gods: Classical Mythology in Australian Art, Domain, Sep 1989, 63.
'Rupert Bunny' by David Thomas, pg. 550-575., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Oct 1970, Oct 1970, 557 (illus.).
David Thomas (Australia) (Author), John Henshaw (New Zealand; Australia, b.1929, d.2006) (Editor), Rupert Bunny, East Melbourne, 1970, 37 (illus.).
Dennis Colsey (Australia) (Author), Hand and eye - a survey of artists materials and techniques: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1970, Sydney, 1969, (illus.). cat.no. 43
- Exhibition history (6)
-
Hand and eye - a survey of artists' materials and techniques: Art Gallery of New South Wales Travelling Art Exhibition 1970, Various venues, 1970–1970.
Stampede of the Lower Gods: Classical Mythology in Australian Art 1890's-1930's, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Oct 1989–26 Nov 1989.
Fin de Siècle: posters prints drawings from the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 15 Jan 1994–13 Mar 1994.
Australian prints from the Gallery's collection (1998-1999), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Nov 1998–07 Feb 1999.
Parallel Visions: Twenty-two artists from the Australian collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Feb 2002–May 2003.
Singing in the heart: Music and the art of Rupert Bunny (2007), Rockhampton Art Gallery, 08 Jun 2007–29 Jul 2007.
