International studio (42.1910)

Henry Tebbitt, Australian Water-Colour Painter

grandeur and vastness of the Australian Bush, that he has succeeded where many have given it up in

his artistic career may be said to have begun. sheer despair.

It is questionable, in discussing a painter or his I may give as an instance the Blue Mountains
work, whether it be better to do it through his of New South Wales. These have a distinct
personality or through his work. In this case, colouring of their own. It is not so much the
however, I think the two may be safely placed intense blue of the distances, but a peculiarly
together. Firstly, it is a great deal owing to his opalescent effect, which distinguishes this parti-
personality, certainly as much as to his work, that cular corner of Australia and makes it quite
Mr. Tebbitt has succeeded by hard and determined unique, for it is unlike any other scenery in the
study in mastering the difficulties and intricacies of world. Many artists have attempted the study of
Australian scenery. Let it be said that Mr. Tebbitt these mountains, but have given it up. To Mr.
is purely a student of Nature and a landscape and Tebbitt's lot it has fallen to be the first to have
marine painter. mastered the difficulty. I might add that these

To an artist coming directly from Europe to mountains are only in their " blue beauty " during

Australia the differences in atmosphere, vegetation the very cold months of the year, and, their alti-

and colouring are so enormous that it takes a few tude being considerable, the work of the artist

years for him to overcome his feeling for English who essays to record their charms is both arduous

foliage and herbage and to become temperamentally and onerous; but Mr. Tebbitt's great merit is to

acclimatised. Thus it happened that during the allow no obstacles to deter him from any given

first part of his life in New South Wales Mr. object he has in view.

Tebbitt contented himself by painting English To study the forest land of Australia, which is

scenes, particularly of the Thames, which found truly gigantic and sublime in its beauty, as well as

their way into the homes of many patrons who, most intricate in its sub-tropical undergrowth, Mr.

far away from the old country, were glad to have Tebbitt has caused a studio to be erected in the

some reminiscence of the land they might never very heart of the trees he loves to depict. It may

see again. be explained at this point that, unlike the trees of

But gradually, when thoroughly reconciled to Europe, which are in most cases distinguishable

this new and well-beloved country, he abandoned by their foliage, the trees of Australia are mostly

all this and devoted himself with no less en- named and recognised by the different colourings

thusiasm to portraying the magnificent largeness of their trunks—hence the "black butt," "woolly

and weirdness of the Australian land and river; butt," " mahogany," etc. The foliage also is

and I may, without flattery or prejudice, say that different, for the leaves, with some few exceptions,

.-, "BALMORAL BEACH, SYDNEY HARBOUR " (WATER-COLOUR) BY HENRY TEBBITT

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