Studio: international art (80.1920)

STUDIO-TALK

MELBOURNE. — Etching, which has
been one of the later developments
•of the growth of art in Australia, has now
•a definite position among the various
mediums which engage the energies of
artists in the Commonwealth. It had its
pioneers, and then seemed to fade out of
existence, till it was revived by a younger
group of artists, who have done much
to establish it in the favour of connoisseurs.

The leader of the group is John Shirlow,
who was prompted to take up this branch
•of art after seeing the set of Thames
etchings by Whistler which was pur-
chased for the Melbourne Gallery in 1892.
These prints were a revelation of how much
could be expressed in a little space. The
.artist had to face many difficulties in taking
up this new medium, and it was some time
before his work became widely appre-
ciated. As I have indicated, he was not the
first etcher ; Livingston Hopkins (" Hop "
of the Bulletin), Julian Ashton, and Henry
Fullwood in Sydney, and James Oldham
and John Mather in Melbourne, were the
forerunners ; but Shirlow has done more
than any other artist to interest the public
in this fascinating art. In the illustrations
we have good examples of his earlier and
later work. The etching of Prince's Bridge
is an early experiment. Since then he
has used larger plates, and has treated his
subjects with greater freedom, and while
they do not always retain the charm of his
earlier work, they have gained much in
•design and breadth of treatment, a a
During the last few years prints from
the etchings by Shirlow have been bought
for several permanent collections. The
Mitchell Library, Sydney, has a complete
:set, numbering seventy-two prints ; the
artist is represented in the Sydney, Gee-
long, and Castlemaine Galleries; but,
strangely enough, not in the gallery of his
•own city, Melbourne. In 1904 he issued
the first portfolio of etchings published in " bond street, sydney "

« 111 fro m an etching

Australia, and it has been followed by three byjohn shirlow

others. Victor Cobb and Frederick A.
Campbell are other Victorians who have

been successful in this medium. One of bourne, have attracted much attention.

Cobb's earliest prints, Two Poplars, has He has selected a good subject in the

always been a favourite with art lovers ; southern approach to Melbourne, which

and his etchings of some of the landmarks he has treated very effectively. The

associated with the early history of Mel- work accomplished by Campbell includes
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