Tom Roberts
(England, Australia 08 Mar 1856–14 Sep 1931)
- Title
- Portrait of Florence
- Other titles:
- Florence Greaves
- Place of origin
-
Sydney →
New South Wales →
Australia
- Year
- (circa 1898)
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas on paperboard
- Dimensions
-
66.6 x 38.7cm stretcher; 77.5 X 49.0 x 7.0cm frame
- Signature & date
- Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Bequest of Florence Turner Blake 1959
- Accession number
- OA10.1959
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
One of his finest, most sensitive portraits, Roberts' 'Portrait of Florence' was one of a number of paintings that were inspired by pretty women and a delight in the decorative fashions of the day. Florence Greaves was a painter and former pupil of Roberts, whose father W.A.B. Greaves owned Newbold Station (north of Grafton, New South Wales) where Roberts painted 'A mountain muster' 1897.
While highlighting Roberts’ ability to position and light his subjects to best advantage – a skill he had acquired during his time as a studio photographer – the delicate palette, particular attention to flesh colour and use of black, reveal influences from Whistler and Velásquez that Roberts had absorbed during his visit to England and the continent in 1882-1884.
- Bibliography (16)
-
Patrick H McCarthy (Australia, b.1933) (Author), Bailed up: the story behind the painting, Sydney, 2006, 14-15.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Patricia James (Author), 19th century Australian watercolours, drawing and pastels from the Gallery's collection, Domain, 2005, 120 (colour illus.).
Inverell Art Gallery (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts Art Exhibition. Tom Roberts Festival 2001, Inverell, 2001, 2. cat.no. 3
'More or less than meets the eye' by Peter Ward, pg. 23-27., The Australian Magazine 28 Sep 1996-29 Sep 1996, 28 Sep 1996-29 Sep 1996, 25 (colour illus.).
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts 1856-1931: a catalogue raisonné. Volume 2 - Plates, Melbourne, 1985, (colour illus.). titled 'Florence Greaves'; plate no. 131
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts 1856-1931: a catalogue raisonné. Volume 1 - Text, Melbourne, 1985, 153. titled 'Florence Greaves'; cat.no. 292
Virginia Spate (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts, Melbourne, 1978, 116 (illus.), 117, 149. illus.no. 41
'Portrait of a lady' by Ronald Vickers., The Christian Science Monitor 22 Apr 1975, 22 Apr 1975, (illus.). Article featured in 'The Home Forum' section; page number unknown.
William Splatt (Author), Barbara Burton (Author), 100 masterpieces of Australian painting, Adelaide, 1973, 92-93 (colour illus.). plate no. 43
'Tom Roberts' by Daniel Thomas, pg. 466-487., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly (Vol. 10, No. 4) Jul 1969, Jul 1969, 476 (illus.), 477.
Alan McCulloch (Australia, b.1907, d.1992) (Author), John Henshaw (New Zealand; Australia, b.1929, d.2006) (Editor), The golden age of Australian painting - Impressionism and the Heidelberg school, Melbourne, 1969, 77, 78 (colour illus.). plate no. 38A
Clive Turnbull (Author), Jean Campbell (Australia) (Author), Daniel Thomas (Author), Australian painting: colonial, impressionist, contemporary, Adelaide, 1962, 40. cat.no. 48
Robert Campbell (Australia, b.1902, d.1972) (Author), Paintings of Tom Roberts, Adelaide, 1962, 16, 17 (colour illus.). not paginated
Author Unknown (Author), The Adelaide Festival of Arts 1962: Special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 1962. cat.no. 55; not paginated
Purchases and acquisitions for 1959 1959, 1959, 12-13, 40-41 (illus.). cat.no. 22
Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Domain, 1953. cat.no. 59
- Exhibition history (14)
-
A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 25 Sep 1953–25 Oct 1953.
Purchases and Acquisitions for 1959, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 26 Mar 1960–18 Apr 1960.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), National Gallery of South Australia, 17 Mar 1962–31 Mar 1962.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), Art Gallery of Western Australia, 23 Sep 1962–24 Oct 1962.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), Tate Britain, 24 Jan 1963–03 Mar 1963.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Apr 1963–May 1963.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), Vancouver Art Gallery, 06 Jun 1963–22 Jun 1963.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of South Australia, 05 Oct 1996–17 Nov 1996.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 30 Nov 1996–27 Jan 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 12 Feb 1997–06 Apr 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Apr 1997–01 Jun 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of Western Australia, 11 Jun 1997–27 Jul 1997.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Tom Roberts Festival (2001), Inverell Art Gallery, 27 Apr 2001–06 May 2001.
