Title
Study for 'Walls of China'
(1945)
Artist
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Details
- Date
- (1945)
- Media category
- Drawing
- Materials used
- pen and black ink on cream machine wove paper
- Dimensions
- 20.2 x 25.1 cm sheet
- Signature & date
Signed l.l., pen and black ink "R. Drysdale". Not dated.
- Credit
- Gift of the artist 1972
- Location
- Not on display
- Accession number
- 56.1972
- Copyright
- © Estate of Russell Drysdale
- Artist information
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Russell Drysdale
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
This drawing is related to Drysdale's major painting 'Walls of China', also in the Art Gallery of New South Wales collection. It arose out of Drysdale's journey in 1944 through the drought-stricken inland of western New South Wales. A series of dry seasons had culminated in a year of severe drought, the worst on record. Towards the end of the year 'The Sydney Morning Herald' commissioned him to accompany reporter Keith Newman and a photographer to cover the story. Drysdale's illustrations for three newspaper reports led to recognition of his great skill as a draughtsman; while his experience inspired a remarkable series of paintings including 'Walls of China'.
While Drysdale's newspaper illustrations of the drought were mostly based upon memory or thumbnail sketches that he had made on the spot; this drawing was made in the studio following his return to Sydney. As part of his working process, Drysdale created this small pen and ink drawing 'Study for 'Walls of China'. It summarises his planned composition for the painting, revealing a stage when he had selected the wind-eroded form of a dead tree to comprise the central motif, symbolising the devastation he had witnessed.
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Exhibition history
Shown in 2 exhibitions
The Drawings of Russell Drysdale - 1980 Perth Survey of Drawing, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 21 Feb 1980–23 Mar 1980
The Drawings of Russell Drysdale - 1980 Perth Survey of Drawing, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 12 Apr 1980–18 May 1980
The Drawings of Russell Drysdale - 1980 Perth Survey of Drawing, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane, 02 Jul 1980–01 Aug 1980
The Drawings of Russell Drysdale - 1980 Perth Survey of Drawing, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 06 Sep 1980–19 Oct 1980
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000
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Bibliography
Referenced in 1 publication
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Art Gallery of Western Australia, The drawings of Russell Drysdale: 1980 Perth survey of drawing, Perth, 1980. cat.no. 54
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