JEFFREY, ARLINGTON (XIX-XX)

"View Of The Harbour" (1904)
Oil on canvas
60 x 76cm
Signed lower right
*private collection, Sydney
 
Jeffrey was a turn-of-the-century Impressionist in the vein and quality of the Heidelberg School. Very little is recorded about Jeffrey, but from the few works I have located he specialised in Sydney Harbour views in and around the Cremorne area. The last one of his works to be offered on the market was almost 30 years ago. Jeffrey was an early member of the influential Society Of Artists in Sydney, a progressive group of artists who exhibited annually between 1895 & 1965. His work "Monotony Of The Bush" was exhibited at the 1907 annual exhibition alongside the works of Arthur Streeton, Elioth Gruner, Sydney Long, Norman Lindsay and Julian Ashton, and was given special mention in the Evening News. This is a detailed and authentic example of Australian Impressionism, reminiscent in quality and subject of the greats such as Streeton, Roberts and McCubbin.