Title

Big orange (sunset)

1974

Artist

Brett Whiteley

Australia, England

07 Apr 1939 – 15 Jun 1992

Artist profile

Alternate image of Big orange (sunset) by Brett Whiteley

Details

Date

1974

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil and collage on wood

Dimensions

244.0 x 305.0 cm board; 246.0 x 307.2 x 4.8 cm frame

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Gift of Patrick White 1975

Location

Not on display

Accession number

36.1975

Copyright

© Wendy Whiteley/Copyright Agency
Reproduction requests

Artist information

Brett Whiteley
Artist profile

Works in the collection

85

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About

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Brett Whiteley produced a series of Sydney Harbour themed works inspired by the views seen from his and his wife Wendy’s home in Lavender Bay on Cammeraygal Country.

These panoramic works celebrated the light, colour and energy of the harbour city and its bustling maritime activity, iconic architecture and semitropical climate. He rendered the expanses of water in swathes of bold colour, such as ultramarine blue, beige or bright orange, and delineated the foreshore and its vegetation in sinuous, expressive lines and patterns.

In 'Big orange (sunset)', Whiteley has painted the orange afterglow on the harbour as the sun sets in the west. Together with his ultramarine-coloured sculptures of palm trees – a distinctive feature of Sydney's skyline – Whiteley rejoices in the beautiful and exotic features of his natural surroundings.
Video

Video 33:44

Wendy Whiteley on the life and work of Brett Whiteley

Watch on Gallery Channel
Exhibition history
Shown in 18 exhibitions
- Lavender Bay Series, Australian Galleries, Melbourne, Collingwood, 19 Nov 1974–03 Dec 1974
- Sydney Harbour 1794-1979, S.H. Ervin Gallery, The Rocks, 03 Aug 1979–26 Aug 1979
- Brett Whiteley Art & Life (1995-1996), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 16 Sep 1995–19 Nov 1995
- Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights (1996-1997), Gold Coast City Art Gallery, Surfers Paradise, 07 Jul 1996–13 Aug 1996
  
  Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights (1996-1997), Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, Townsville, 23 Aug 1996–29 Sep 1996
  
  Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights (1996-1997), Cairns Art Gallery, Cairns, 05 Oct 1996–10 Nov 1996
  
  Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights (1996-1997), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 23 Nov 1996–19 Jan 1997
  
  Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights (1996-1997), Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, 31 Jan 1997–16 Mar 1997
- Big Blue - the painted harbour (1997), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Jun 1997–29 Mar 1998
- Affinities: Brett Whiteley & Lloyd Rees (2001), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 10 Feb 2001–08 Jul 2001
- Brett Whiteley: Key works from the Studio, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 24 Jul 2004–03 Oct 2004
- Whiteley & Rees: more affinities (2006), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 03 Dec 2005–10 Apr 2006
- Seasons, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 26 Aug 2006–26 Nov 2006
- Harbourlife: Sydney Harbour from the 1940s to recent times, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, 30 Nov 2007–13 Jan 2008
  
  Harbourlife: Sydney Harbour from the 1940s to recent times, Macquarie University Art Gallery, Sydney, 23 Jan 2008–08 Mar 2008
- Iconic Whiteley (2009-2010), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 12 Sep 2009–22 Aug 2010
- Blue (2011), The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 09 Jul 2011–08 Jul 2012
- Whiteley on Water, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, , 17 Nov 2012–27 Jan 2013
- Australia, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 21 Sep 2013–08 Dec 2013
- Brett Whiteley: sculptures and ceramics, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 05 Jun 2015–06 Dec 2015
- Destination Sydney, Manly Art Gallery and Museum, Manly, 05 Dec 2015–14 Feb 2016
- Brett Whiteley: Lavender Bay, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 25 Oct 2019–15 Mar 2020
- Brett Whiteley: Australia, The Brett Whiteley Studio, Surry Hills, 03 Dec 2021–17 Apr 2022
Bibliography
Referenced in 23 publications
- Australian Galleries, Melbourne, Brett Whiteley `Lavender Bay Series', 'The theme of this catalogue/exhibition is to present a series of work to celebrate the view from the artist's house at Lavender Bay on Sydney Harbour', Collingwood, pre 19 Nov 1974, (illus.).
- Kym Bonython, Ross K Luck, Laurie Thomas and Elwyn Lynn, Modern Australian painting, 1950/1975, Adelaide, 1980, 168 (colour illus.).
- Nancy Borlase, Bulletin, 'Art; An unexpected Whiteley', pg. 57, Sydney, 23 Nov 1974, 57. This is a review of a Brett Whiteley exhibition held at the Australian Galleries in Melbourne. Brett Whiteley is photographed with daughter Arkie.
- Jonathan Cooper (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales Bulletin, Sydney, Feb 1998-Apr 1998, 21 (colour illus.).
- Sarah Engledow., White, Whiteley: the portrait of Patrick White by Brett Whiteley, ‘White Whiteley’, Canberra, May 2010. viewed 01.02.2013, http://www.portrait.gov.au/site/exhibition_subsite_whitewhiteley.php
- Maureen Gilchrist., Age, 'Talent shows in serious works', Melbourne, 20 Nov 1974, 2. This article appears in the `Art' section of `The Age', and is a review of Brett Whiteley's exhibition at the Australian Galleries, Collingwood, Melbourne. The theme of the exhibition is the view from the artist's home at Lavender Bay, Sydney.
- Jane Hampson, Look, 'Under the influence: the work of Lloyd Rees and Brett Whiteley hangs side-by-side in a new exhibition', pg. 12-16, Melbourne, Feb 2001, 15 (colour illus.).
- Helen Verity Hewitt, Patrick White, painter, manqué: paintings, painters and their influence on his writing, 'White and the Sydney Art World: 2', pg. 84-93, Carlton, 2002, 92, 156.
- Lou Klepac, Affinities: Brett Whiteley & Lloyd Rees, 'Introduction', pg. 2-4, Sydney, 2001, front cover (colour illus.), 8.
- Elwyn Lynn, Modern Australian Painting, 1970/1975, 'Introduction', pg. 7-11, Unknown, 1976, cover page (colour illus.), 54 (colour illus.), 87. plate no. 72; Bibliographic Notes and Index is supplied on pg. 87
- Alan McCulloch., The Herald, 'Back to Terra Firma', Melbourne, 20 Nov 1974, 30. This article appears in the `Art' section, and is a review of Whiteley's exhibition at the Australian Galleries, Melbourne.
- Sandra McGrath, Brett Whiteley, 'Lavender Bay: Optical Ecstasy', pg. 164-213, Kensington, 1979, 170-171 (colour illus.).
- Sandra McGrath, Sydney Harbour Paintings from 1794, 'Brett Whiteley (b.1939)', pg. 100-103, Milton, 1979, 100 (colour illus.), 101.
- Menzies Art Brands Pty Ltd [Sydney], Menzies, Melbourne: Australian & International Fine Art 15 December 2010, Sydney, 2010, 40, 43 (colour illus.). RELATED WORK: 'Little Orange (Sunset)', 1974, lot no. 27; NOTE: AGNSW work illustrated on page 43, related work illustrated on page 41.
- Barry Pearce, Brett Whiteley Art & Life, 'Persona and the Painter', pg. 15-41, London, 1995, 35, 144 (colour illus.), 231. plate no. 85
- W.E. Pidgeon., Sunday telegraph, 'Whiteley finds peace', Sydney, 22 Dec 1974, 59. This article appears in the `art' section of the `Sunday Telegraph', and reviews a Whiteley exhibition of recent works held at Bonython Gallery.
- Kathie Sutherland, Brett Whiteley: catalogue raisonné 1955-1992: catalogue of works, Carlton, 2020, 311. cat.no. 139.74
- The Brett Whiteley Studio (Editor), Big blue: the painted harbour (list of works), Sydney, 1997.
- The Brett Whiteley Studio, Whiteley & Rees: More affinities, Sydney, 2005, (illus.). List of works
- Daniel Thomas, Australia, 'Elizabethan post-colonial 1950-2013', pg. 226-288, London, 2013, 17 (colour illus., detail), 232 (colour illus.), 247 (colour illus.). cat.no. 168; fig.no. 42
- Ashleigh Wilson, Brett Whiteley: art, life and the other thing, Melbourne, 2016, 234-35, 243-44, 260, 448.
- Gavin Wilson, Harbourlife, 'harbourlife', pg. 7-32, Sydney, 2007, 56, 32, 32 (colour illus.).
- Editor Unknown (Editor), Brett Whiteley - Aspects & Insights, Sydney, 1996, (colour illus.).