GRUNER, ELIOTH (1882-1939)

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"Auckland Harbour" (1931)

oil on card

25 x 30cm

unsigned

*private collection, Sydney

A successor of the plein air Heidelberg School tradition in Australian art, Gruner is known for his high-key impressionist landscapes & his ability to capture the ephemeral effects of light. According to Norman Lindsay, he "painted the purest light that ever has been seen on a bit of canvas". Gruner began attending art classes with Julian Ashton from around the age of twelve. He exhibited for the first time, with the Society of Artists, in 1901, with a still-life painting. He preferred to paint landscapes when he was able to paint outdoors en plein air, in the manner of the Impressionists he so admired. In 1916 Gruner finally achieved critical success with the painting ‘Morning Light’ which was awarded the Wynne Prize, and purchased by the AGNSW. The painting was popularly proclaimed to be the artist’s masterpiece. He won the Wynne Prize seven times, ‘Spring Frost’ won in 1919, & his preference for painting green, rolling pastures & farmyard animals made him one of the most popular artists of his day. While he was to become an important figure in the Society of Artists, and the Australian painting scene generally, towards the end of his life, Gruner suffered from depression and alcohol dependency. He has been the subject of numerous retrospectives & is represented in all major National Galleries!

In November 1930, Gruner visited New Zealand with the intention of making paintings of local scenery. He travelled around the country for several months in a caravan with Brian Cannell, an English art student, and completed a number of paintings, and exhibited at the Auckland Society Of Artists. He left the country in April 1931, on the Maunganui.