Charles Blackman (1928-2018) Two Schoolgirls, c.1953
Charles Blackman (1928-2018)
Two Schoolgirls, c.1953
oil on compressed card on board
74.0 x 61.0cm (29 1/8 x 24in).
PROVENANCE
Charles Blackman, Melbourne
The Estate of the late Dr H. Hattam, Melbourne
Christies, Australian & International Paintings, Melbourne, 27 August 2002, lot 8
Private collection, Melbourne
When first introduced to the poetry of John Shaw Neilson by Sunday Reed, Charles Blackman had already started to explore the possibilities of the schoolgirl as a motif. Drawn or painted, of its emergence as a subject, Blackman noted in conversation with James Gleeson, 'the schoolgirl image just popped up in my personality. It is not untrue to say - all painters would say the same thing - that it is very much an environmental thing. Where I lived was heavily populated with schoolgirls - there were miles of them. It is one of those things.' 1
Immediately struck by the parallels in their shared vision, Blackman commented of Neilsen's poetry, 'they were full of a kinship, the sort of thing that I was painting fitted in with it perfectly.'2 Filled with rich descriptions of colour, Neilsen was partially blind and his affliction drew Blackman closer. The convergence of the schoolgirl motif, Neilsen's poetry and his wife's own blindness was revelatory, resulting in paintings which are obsessive, underscored by a certain ambiguity akin to the opening stanza of Neilson's poem Schoolgirls Hastening,
Fear it has faded and the night
The bells all peal the hour of nine
The schoolgirls hastening through the light
Touch the unknowable Divine
The first of the schoolgirls focused on the solitary female figure, primarily painted in enamel on board, or drawn in conte on paper. The Schoolgirl paintings attracting positive attention, Herald art critic Alan McCulloch hailed the new talent enthusiastically, 'In Blackman's hands John Shaw Neilson's schoolgirl becomes a creature of endless aesthetic possibilities. With literally nothing in the way of subject matter to help him, this young artist has created a series of paintings which are at once exciting and extremely stimulating.'3
1. James Gleeson Interview: Charles Blackman, National Gallery of Australia, recorded 26 April 1979
2. Geoff Maslen, 'Blackmans Wonderland', The Age, Melbourne, 15 March 2002
3. Alan McCulloch, The Herald, Melbourne, 12 May 1953
Bid on this lot
Charles Blackman (1928-2018)
Two Schoolgirls, c.1953
oil on compressed card on board
74.0 x 61.0cm (29 1/8 x 24in).
PROVENANCE
Charles Blackman, Melbourne
The Estate of the late Dr H. Hattam, Melbourne
Christies, Australian & International Paintings, Melbourne, 27 August 2002, lot 8
Private collection, Melbourne
When first introduced to the poetry of John Shaw Neilson by Sunday Reed, Charles Blackman had already started to explore the possibilities of the schoolgirl as a motif. Drawn or painted, of its emergence as a subject, Blackman noted in conversation with James Gleeson, 'the schoolgirl image just popped up in my personality. It is not untrue to say - all painters would say the same thing - that it is very much an environmental thing. Where I lived was heavily populated with schoolgirls - there were miles of them. It is one of those things.' 1
Immediately struck by the parallels in their shared vision, Blackman commented of Neilsen's poetry, 'they were full of a kinship, the sort of thing that I was painting fitted in with it perfectly.'2 Filled with rich descriptions of colour, Neilsen was partially blind and his affliction drew Blackman closer. The convergence of the schoolgirl motif, Neilsen's poetry and his wife's own blindness was revelatory, resulting in paintings which are obsessive, underscored by a certain ambiguity akin to the opening stanza of Neilson's poem Schoolgirls Hastening,
Fear it has faded and the night
The bells all peal the hour of nine
The schoolgirls hastening through the light
Touch the unknowable Divine
The first of the schoolgirls focused on the solitary female figure, primarily painted in enamel on board, or drawn in conte on paper. The Schoolgirl paintings attracting positive attention, Herald art critic Alan McCulloch hailed the new talent enthusiastically, 'In Blackman's hands John Shaw Neilson's schoolgirl becomes a creature of endless aesthetic possibilities. With literally nothing in the way of subject matter to help him, this young artist has created a series of paintings which are at once exciting and extremely stimulating.'3
1. James Gleeson Interview: Charles Blackman, National Gallery of Australia, recorded 26 April 1979
2. Geoff Maslen, 'Blackmans Wonderland', The Age, Melbourne, 15 March 2002
3. Alan McCulloch, The Herald, Melbourne, 12 May 1953
