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9 by 5 exhibition

The Heidelberg Artists Society is proud it presented its 9 by 5 Impressionist Exhibition. The Society has supported community efforts to re-establish the rich heritage and traditions of the “Heidelberg School of Painters” by arranging tours in the 1990s of the sites around the Eaglemont and Heidelberg area and whose members played their part in the development of the Artists’ trail in 1997 by Andrew McKenzie (then a Councillor) and Dennis Ward. The Heidelberg Artists Society contributes donations to charities through its sales of paintings at various venues.

The ‘Heidelberg School of Painters’

This information is an extract from the “Golden Summers – Heidelberg and Beyond”.

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There were distinctive events which marked the evolvement of the “Heidelberg School of Painters” and the eventual ‘9 by 5’ exhibition. First came the various camps set up around Melbourne; camping in the vicinity of the homestead of David Houston’s property, Box Hill (1885). McCubbins, Abrahams and Roberts rented a cottage at Mentone and discovered Streeton painting at Beaumaris and asked him to join the Box Hill camp. The Box Hill camp broke up in 1888. Late in 1888, Streeton founded the Heidelberg artists’ camp at Eaglemont. He was out plein air painting and, on arriving at the Heidelberg railway station, he met up with Janet Sophia Davies, who was the sister of Charles Davies, part owner of the Mount Eagle estate. Through this association, Streeton was given artistic possession of the old estate at Eaglemont by Charles Davies. It included many visits by Gallery members and organized excursions for the Victorian Artists Society. When the Eaglemont camp disbanded in 1890, many artists had left for Europe

Louis Abraham, who worked in his father’s business B. Sniders and Abrahams, Cigar Manufacturers, obtained large amounts of 9 by 5 cigar-box lids for fellow artists to use in painting 9 by 5 impressions.
The ‘9 by 5’ Impressionist Exhibition took place in 1889 and Charles Edward Conder designed the catalogue marking the occasion. Conder had met Roberts in Sydney, where Roberts encouraged him to come to Melbourne.
In 1890, Walter Withers took over the south end of the Heidelberg mansion ‘Charterisville’ and sub-let rooms. In 1894 the tenancy went to Phillips Fox and Tudor St. George Tucker.
The naming of the “Heidelberg School of Painters” in 1891 came from a critic, Sidney Dickinson. He named Withers and Streeton as the leaders of ‘the Heidelberg School’. Dickinson said of Streeton’s work – “Mr Streeton’s pictures are very typical of the Australian scenery … boldly and vigorously painted, broad in effect and with striking contrasts and robust harmonious of colour …. Truth to local colour is one of Mr Streeton’s strong merits … he sees it readily and describes it with admirable positiveness”.

The connection for most of the artists of that era was the independent ‘Life-Club’, the Gallery School of Design, the Artisans School of Design, the Victorian Artists Society, the Buonarotti Society and their desire to paint plein air.

Arthur Streeton - Impression for Golden Summers