Title

The national game

(1889)

Artist

Arthur Streeton

England, Australia

08 Apr 1867 – 01 Sep 1943

Artist profile

Alternate image of The national game by Arthur Streeton

Details

Other Titles

The football match
Footballers
The football game

Place where the work was made

Melbourne → Victoria → Australia

Date

(1889)

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on cardboard

Dimensions

11.8 x 22.9 cm board; 34.5 x 50.8 x 2.3 cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.r. corner, incised "A.S.". Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1963

Location

South Building, ground level, Grand Courts

Accession number

OA11.1963

Copyright

Reproduction requests

Artist information

Arthur Streeton
Artist profile

Works in the collection

52

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About

'An effect is only momentary ... it has been the object of the artists to render faithfully, and thus obtain first records of effects widely differing, and often of very fleeting character'.

9 by 5 impression exhibition catalogue, 1889

'The national game' was exhibited in the influential '9 by 5 impression exhibition' held at Buxton's Gallery in Swanston Street, Melbourne, in August 1889. The exhibition included paintings that would normally have been considered preliminary sketches for larger works and consequently unsuitable for public exhibition. It proved to be central to the development of the Heidelberg school of Australian 'impressionism', a turning point in the history of Australian landscape painting.
Places

Where the work was made

Melbourne
Exhibition history
Shown in 17 exhibitions
- The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, Buxton's Art Gallery, Melbourne, 17 Aug 1889 -
- Loan exhibition of the works of Arthur Streeton, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 20 Nov 1931–20 Jan 1932
- Australian art in the nineties, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney, 1934 -
- Victorian visions: 1834 onwards, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 13 Mar 1985–05 May 1985
- Victorian vision: 1834 onwards, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 13 Mar 1985–05 May 1985
- Golden Summers - Heidelberg and beyond, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 30 Oct 1985–27 Jan 1986
  
  Golden Summers - Heidelberg and beyond, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Feb 1986–20 Apr 1986
  
  Golden Summers - Heidelberg and beyond, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 09 May 1986–29 Jun 1986
  
  Golden Summers - Heidelberg and beyond, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 30 Jul 1986–14 Sep 1986
- The great Australian art exhibition, Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, 17 May 1988–17 Jul 1988
  
  The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 13 Aug 1988–25 Sep 1988
  
  The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 Oct 1988–27 Nov 1988
  
  The great Australian art exhibition, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 21 Dec 1988–05 Feb 1989
  
  The great Australian art exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 01 Mar 1989–30 Apr 1989
  
  The great Australian art exhibition, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 23 May 1989–16 Jul 1989
- L'Été australien à Montpellier, Musee Fabre, France, 30 Jun 1990–13 Sep 1990
- Arthur Streeton, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], Melbourne, 08 Dec 1995–12 Feb 1996
  
  Arthur Streeton, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 01 Mar 1996–14 Apr 1996
  
  Arthur Streeton, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 01 May 1996–16 Jun 1996
  
  Arthur Streeton, Queensland Art Gallery, South Brisbane, 08 Jul 1996–25 Aug 1996
  
  Arthur Streeton, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 11 Oct 1996–24 Nov 1996
- Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000
- Ready, set, ... go! Sporting life and Australian art, Global Arts Link, Ipswich, 18 Aug 2001–11 Nov 2001
- Australian Impressionism, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 31 Mar 2007–08 Jul 2007
- Australia, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 21 Sep 2013–08 Dec 2013
- Australia's Impressionists, National Gallery, London, London, 07 Dec 2016–26 Mar 2017
- Streeton, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 07 Nov 2020–14 Feb 2021
- She-oak and sunlight: Australian Impressionism, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Melbourne, 02 Apr 2021–22 Aug 2021
- Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023
Bibliography
Referenced in 21 publications
- Leigh Astbury, Sunlight and shadow: Australian impressionist painters 1880-1900, Rushcutters Bay, 1989, 202. plate no.150
- Jane Clark, Golden summers: Heidelberg and beyond, 'The 9 by 5 Impression exhibition, 1889', pg. 112-117, Melbourne, 1985, 127 (colour illus.).
- Ann Galbally, Arthur Streeton, Melbourne, 1969, 13 (colour illus.), 16, 80. cat.no. 27; colour plate no. 6A
- G.E.W. Harriott (Editor), The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 20 Nov 1974, 43.
- Anne Kern, Arthur Streeton the man and his art, 'The 9 x 5 exhibition era', pg. 13-16, Leichhardt, 1981, 13, 14 (colour illus.). Plate no. 3A
- Terence Lane, Australian Impressionism, 'The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition - The Challenge of the Sketch', pg. 157-163, Melbourne, 2007, 334, 179 (colour illus.). cat.no. 9.53
- Macquarie Galleries, Catalogue of Australian art in the nineties, Sydney, 1934. cat.no. 29; titled 'The football match'
- Lisa Martin, Age, '"A pain to the eye" - art critic James Smith, The Argus newspaper, August 17, 1889', pg. 4, Melbourne, 08 May 2007, 4.
- Chris McAuliffe, Art and Australia (Vol. 32, No. 4), 'Eyes on the ball: images of Australian rules football', pg. 490-501, Sydney, Winter 1995, 492, 493 (colour illus.), 494, 495.
- Dr Chris McAuliffe, Basil Sellers art prize (2008), 'Life, shadow and spectacle: An overview of art and sport in Australia', pg. 6-11, Melbourne, 2008, 8, 10 (colour illus.).
- John McDonald, Art of Australia. Vol 1: Exploration to Federation, 'Our hill of gold', pg. 419-484, Sydney, 2008, 474 (colour illus.), 480.
- Timothy Morrell, Ready Set Go! Sporting life and Australian art, 'Ready Set Go!', pg. 40-49, Ipswich, 2001, 44 (colour illus.), 45, 55.
- John Olsen, Art and Australia [series 3, vol. 1, no. 3], 'Sir Arthur Streeton', pg. 161-164, Sydney, Nov 1963, 160-165, 164 (illus.).
- Barry Pearce, Look: 1953-2003 celebrating 50 years, 'Presenting our own artists', pg. 42-44, Sydney, May 2003, 42.
- Christopher Riopelle (Editor), Australia's impressionists, 'Catalogue', pg. 64-109, London, 2016, 67 (colour illus.), 111, 125. cat.no. 5
- Geoffrey Smith and Robyn Krause-Hale, Arthur Streeton 1867-1943: Education guide, Parkes, 1995, (illus.). no pagination
- Geoffrey Smith, Arthur Streeton, 1867-1943, ''Still glides the stream, and shall forever glide' Melbourne 1867-90', pg. 11-66, South Yarra, 1995, 50, 51 (colour illus.). cat.no. 18
- Arthur Streeton, The Arthur Streeton catalogue, Melbourne, 1935, 115. cat.no. 87
- Russel Ward and Graeme Inson, The glorious years of Australia fair from the birth of the Bulletin to Versailles, Milton, 1971, 105 (colour illus.).
- Vivienne Webb, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Golden age', pg. 37-38, Sydney, 2000, 48 (colour illus.).
- Christopher Wray, Arthur Streeton: painter of light, 'The 9 by 5 exhibition', pg. 40-49, Milton, 1993, 43.