Artistic Relationships: Anne O’Hehir and Rebecca Edwards on Anne Dangar and Grace Crowley

Free
Duration: 45 mins including Q&A

Join Anne O’Hehir, Curator, Photography, in conversation with the curator of Anne Dangar, Rebecca Edwards, Senior Curator, Australian Art, for a special Valentine’s Day Friday Art Talk celebrating artistic relationships.

Anne Dangar (1885–1951) and Grace Crowley (1890 – 1979) were part of a generation of Australian women artists whose lives during the early twentieth century deviated from the conventional lines of gender and sexuality then expected of women. From the time Dangar and Crowley met while studying with Julian Ashton in 1914, their personal and artistic lives became intertwined.

When Dangar left Australia in 1930 for the artist colony Moly-Sabata in Sablons, southern France, Crowley and Dangar continued a close relationship through their letters. The letters Dangar sent to Crowley provide invaluable insights into her life in Sablons as well as her growing understanding of Cubism, as Dangar actively sought to keep Crowley abreast of developments in modernism in France.

In this talk, Anne and Rebecca will chart the relationship between Dangar and Crowley, from when they first met, through to Dangar’s death in 1951. They will show how this relationship had a profound impact on their art and on engagement with Cubism in Australia.

Friday Art Talks is a free weekly program. Hear from artists, curators and experts on the works in our collection and exhibition program.

This talk is part of a series focused on the major exhibitions Ethel Carrick and Anne Dangar on display in Gallery 12 until 27 Apr 2025.

We are committed to making our collections, exhibitions, buildings and events accessible to all visitors. A range of services are available to facilitate your visit to the Gallery.

Information to help you plan your visit is available on the National Gallery website.

This program is wheelchair accessible. Mobility aids, such as motorised scooters, wheelchairs, and wheelie walkers are available on request from the information desk. Call +61 2 6240 6411 or email information@nga.gov.au to book a motorised scooter in advance.

Headphones will be available for attendees who are hard of hearing.