New Worlds from Old

19th Century Australian and American Landscapes

Exhibition
7 Mar – 17 May 1998
A painting of the view from Mount Townsend looking towards Mount Jagungal

Eugene von Guérard, North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko, 1863, purchased 1973

About

Exhibition Logo for New Worlds from Old

"The great cultural project of the nineteenth century was to explore the relations between man and nature, to learn to see nature as the fingerprint of God's creation … No previous age had brought such passionate scrutiny to nature, from the highest Alp to the smallest pollen of grain..." – Robert Hughes, American Visions (1996)

"What connects the Australian to the American experience is a kind of inner imaginative awakening." – Patrick McCaughey, Director, Yale Center for British Art

Landscape is undoubtedly one of the most popular and universally loved themes in the history of Western art. This exhibition presents the broad sweep of landscape painting during one of its most exciting eras of development — the 19th century. In many ways the 19th century landscape painters reflected thoughts and deep feelings about the natural world which are still potent as we approach the 21st century.

Examining two great traditions of landscape painting of the 19th century, those of Australia and America, the exhibition will explore how artists steeped in 'old world' traditions reacted when confronted by landscapes of the 'new world'.

This once in a lifetime exhibition includes 100 of the best landscape paintings ever produced in Australia and America. Many of the works have never been shown before in this country — these include all of the American masterpieces and two unique Australian works by John Glover which have been in the Louvre since 1841.

ESSO in the Gallery

Esso Australia Ltd. is pleased to be associated with the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria to help make possible the exhibition of 19th century Australian and American landscape paintings.

While Esso's main contribution to Australia is as a major producer of oil and natural gas, the company also believes it is important to contribute to the quality and character of life in the community.

Esso wishes to congratulate the National Gallery of Australia for organising this exciting exhibition.

Text sourced from: Johns, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Mankin Kornhauser, and Andrew Sayers. New Worlds from Old : 19th Century Australian & American Landscapes. Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1998.

Past Touring Dates and Venues

  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
    3 June – 10 August 1998
  • Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
    12 September 1998 – 4 January 1999
  • The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA
    26 January – 18 April 1999

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