Art Gallery NSW: European Classical Art 1400–1900
Venue
Art Gallery of New South Wales is the Australian version of The Met and MoMA. When walking into the museum, the audience would get the impression that artwork collections at the renowned museums are reduced to a smaller scale and housed on one vast floor. The 20th-century gallery on the left displays modern art of Australia and Grand Courts on the right exhibit European and Australian classical art of the 15th — 20th century. Due to expansive collections of works, viewing one collection per day is recommended.
I was overwhelmed by the loads of artworks displayed at the Courts. Paintings were too crammed into the walls of the Courts that several paintings hung vertically. Paintings were not as well organized as that of Modern Art displayed in the left galleries. Though classical paintings on display were masterpieces, too many of them cause viewers confusion by distracting focus and fatigue from overworking cognition. The best solution, in this case, is to concentrate on your field of interest and pay attention to a few works.
European Classical Paintings at Art Gallery NSW
As classical art originated in Europe, the masterpieces are consequently in art museums in Europe. Though Art Gallery NSW does have classical artworks of high quality, they are comparatively less significant than works in Europe. Yet, I still selected the best works from the Australian museum’s European classical paintings, as works painted in Europe show the power of European civilization. Works that deserve study are Australian classical art. After European settlement, European artists migrated to Australia and continued their artistic practice by painting various subjects and passing their skills to the next generations of European painters in Australia.
Grand Court has an overwhelming amount of Classical Art created across five centuries. To prioritize the artworks, I divided them into two groups, setting European Settlement in Australia as a milestone. The first group of paintings is European Classical Art from 400 to 1900. The second group of paintings is Australian Classical Art from 1800 to 1900.
Selected Works
Narrative: Legend and Myth
A celebration of the English language, the painting was the first work to be purchased by the museum. Subject shows a significant historical event of Chaucer, the father of English literature, is reading lines from Canterbury Tales to King Edward III, who ruled England from January 1327 until his death in 1377.
Composition: Beautified Representations of European Lives
Duplicius de Scheppere was an important scholar and diplomat who traveled extensively in the service of the Kings of Denmark in the 16th century.
Thank you for reading the shortened version of the article. It is the first article of classical art chapter in the comprehensive study on Australian Art. The study is divided into three chapters according to era: classical, modern and contemporary. To read the complete article, and view the complete list of the articles within the study, please direct to the linked articles.
Art Gallery NSW: European Classical Art 1400–1900
Australian Art: from Classical Antiquity to Contemporary Emerging Talents
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