Collection
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Title
The variegated lizard of New South Wales
1807
Artist
J W Lewin
England, Australia
1770 - Aug 1819
About
John Lewin arrived in New South Wales in 1800 with an innate curiosity about the natural world. He made a large number of botanical drawings and collected specimens that formed the basis of two of the earliest books on the fauna of the colony. 'The Variegated lizard of New South Wales' is one of a number of drawings Lewin made for Governor Bligh. Its high state of finish and landscape setting suggest it was intended for public view and is among a number of presentation drawings Lewin made during his career.
Australian Art Department, AGNSW, 2000
Details
Date
1807
Materials used
pencil, watercolour, opaque white, gum on paper
Dimensions
26.3 x 45.3 cm sight; 75.0 x 91.5 x 4.2cm frame
Signature & date
Signed and dated l.r., pen and black ink "JW Lewin A.L.S./ Dem. 23. 1807".
Credit
Edward Stinson Bequest Fund 1990
Location
Not on display
Accession number
486.1990
URL / Share
J W Lewin
The variegated lizard of New South Wales
Shown in 7 exhibitions
Exhibition history
Australian Art: colonial to modern:
- Deutscher Fine Art (Perth), Perth 20 Aug 1986–25 Aug 1986
- Deutscher Fine Art (Sydney), Sydney 05 Sep 1986–13 Sep 1986
The artist and the patron: Aspects of colonial art in New South Wales., Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 02 Mar 1988–01 May 1988
Drawing in Australia: drawings, watercolours, pastels and collages from the 1770s to the 1980s, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 30 Jul 1988–30 Oct 1988
Nineteenth century Australian watercolours from the collection (1991), Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 13 Apr 1991–07 Jul 1991
Animals on paper: from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 05 Sep 1992–05 Oct 1992
19th century Australian watercolours, drawings & pastels, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 06 Apr 2005–24 Jul 2005
Lewin: Wild Art:
- State Library of New South Wales, Sydney 05 Mar 2012–27 May 2012
- National Library of Australia, Canberra 26 Jul 2012–28 Oct 2012
Referenced in 10 publications
Bibliography
Tim Bonyhady, The colonial image: Australian painting 1800-1880, Canberra, 1987, 7 (colour illus.).
Deutscher Fine Art (Sydney), Australian art: colonial to modern, Sydney, 1986, (colour illus.). lot no. 3
19th century Australian watercolours, drawing and pastels from the Gallery's collection, Sydney, 2005, 19 (colour illus.).
Animals on paper - from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Sydney, 1992. cat.no. 25
Hendrik Kolenberg., Nineteenth century Australian watercolours from the collection, 'Introduction', Sydney, 1991, (illus.). not paginated, cat.no. 34
Hendrik Kolenberg, Look, 'Australian images from the past: whether rarely seen or familiar, these works move and delight us', pg. 24-27, Sydney, Apr 2005, 24.
The new McCulloch's encyclopedia of Australian art, Carlton, 2006, 613 (colour illus.).
The artist and the patron - aspects of Colonial art in New South Wales, Sydney, 1988, 132 (colour illus.), 133. cat.no. 114
Barry Pearce, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Introduction', pg. 10-16, Sydney, 2000, 10, 17, 19 (colour illus.), 301.
Drawing in Australia: drawings, water-colours, pastels and collages from the 1770s to the 1980s, Melbourne, 1989, 21 (colour illus.).