Bourke Street (painting)
Encyclopedia
Bourke Street is a 1886
painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts
. Roberts originally titled the work Allegro con brio. The painting depicts the western end of Bourke Street
, one of the main thoroughfares in Melbourne
as seen from the Buckley & Nunn
drapery.
The work was painted a few months after Roberts' return to Australia in 1885, after he had spent four years in Europe . It was not displayed until 1890, and only five days beforehand, Roberts added three female figures to the lower left. Roberts was unable to find a buyer and handed the painting to fellow artist, Frederick McCubbin
. In 1920, McCubbin's widow sold the painting to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library for 20 guineas
—forwarding the proceeds to Roberts, who was in London at the time.
1886 in art
-Events:* April - New English Art Club mounts its first exhibition, at the Egyptian Hall, London, providing an alternative to the Royal Academy for younger artists, such as Philip Wilson Steer, under the influence of Paris....
painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts
Thomas William Roberts , usually known simply as Tom, was a prominent Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School.-Life:...
. Roberts originally titled the work Allegro con brio. The painting depicts the western end of Bourke Street
Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bourke Street is one of Melbourne's best known streets. Historically been regarded as Melbourne's "second street", with the main street being Collins Street and "busier than Bourke Street" is a popular catchphrase. Bourke Street has traditionally been Melbourne's entertainment hub...
, one of the main thoroughfares in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
as seen from the Buckley & Nunn
Buckley & Nunn
The Melbourne department store of Buckley & Nunn first opened its doors in 1851 as a drapery store and, in its heyday, competed creditably with David Jones and Myer . It occupied a succession of buildings in Bourke Street until being taken over by David Jones in 1982.Popular as a retailer of...
drapery.
The work was painted a few months after Roberts' return to Australia in 1885, after he had spent four years in Europe . It was not displayed until 1890, and only five days beforehand, Roberts added three female figures to the lower left. Roberts was unable to find a buyer and handed the painting to fellow artist, Frederick McCubbin
Frederick McCubbin
Frederick McCubbin was an Australian painter who was prominent in the Heidelberg School, one of the more important periods in Australia's visual arts history....
. In 1920, McCubbin's widow sold the painting to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library for 20 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
—forwarding the proceeds to Roberts, who was in London at the time.
External links
- Tom Roberts Allegro con brio: Bourke Street west Turner to Monet: The Triumph of Landscape