COMMONS, DONALD (1855-1942)

“The Gap, Watson’s Bay” (1912)
Pencil
30 x 40cm
Signed lower left
*private collection, Sydney
 
Commons is a forgotten New Zealand-born Australian Impressionist. He was recognized for his landscape studies around Sydney.  He was born and educated in Auckland, but spent most of his life in Australia. He moved to Sydney in 1878 to take up a job as an engineering draughtsman in the New South Wales Department of Public Works. In the following year he had three of his paintings included in the Sydney International Exhibition. His painting 'The Coast at Ben Buckler' (Collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales) was selected for inclusion in the 1882 Franco-British exhibition in Paris. He was a foundational member of the Art Society of New South Wales. His paintings were often devoted to documenting the Georgian buildings of the Rocks area in Sydney. Many of these, both in oils and watercolours, were exhibited at the Macleod Gallery in the offices of the 'Bulletin' in 1936. An exhibition of his works was held at the Australian High Commission in New Zealand in 1998. His work is represented in numerous National Galleries and institutions, including the Art Gallery Of NSW.