NGV: Rupert Bunny – Artist in Paris

Rupert Bunny, Australia 1864–1947, lived in Europe 1884–1933, Le bel après-midi (Royan) (c. 1908), oil on canvas, 114.3 x 152.0 cm, Private collection, Melbourne

On 26thMarch 2010, the National Gallery of Victoria will open a major retrospective exhibition of the work of Rupert Bunny (1864– 1947). Melbourne‐born Bunny was one of the most successful artists of his generation. Living most of his life in France, no other Australian artist achieved the accolades Bunny received in Paris in the 1890s and early 1900s.
This will be the first major exhibition of Bunny’s work since 1991. Organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and curated by Deborah Edwards, the exhibition includes over 100 works – from his late nineteenth century symbolist inspired mythologies to his elegant Belle Époque paintings of fashionable Parisian leisure. Several of the works in the exhibition have never been seen in Australia, including paintings from the Musée d’Orsay and private collections in Europe.

Rupert Bunny, Australia 1864–1947, lived in Europe 1884–1933, A summer morning (c. 1897), oil on canvas, 97.9 x 129.5 cm, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, M.J.M. Carter AO Collection through the Art Gallery of South Australia Foundation 2009. Given in memory of Jean A. Sutcliffe (1921- 2004)

Gerard Vaughan, NGV Director, said this visually stunning exhibition would provide a chance for visitors to enjoy and understand all the phases of the career of this important Australian artist. “Bunny was the first living Australian artist to have a retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1946. It is nearly 20 years since the last exhibition of Bunny’s work, so it is certainly time for audiences to re‐engage with his elegant, often sumptuous paintings.”
The National Gallery of Victoria is itself a major lender to the exhibition, with 18 works from the NGV Collection on display, highlights include Endormies c.1904, Courtesans in the countryside c.1920 (pictured), and Shrimp
fishers at Saint Georges c.1910. “The NGV has an outstanding collection of works by Rupert Bunny and we are thrilled to present them together with works from other Australian and international collections; this is a very important retrospective,” said
Dr Vaughan.

Rupert Bunny: Artist in Paris will be on display at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Federation Square from 26 March to 4 July 2010. A range of public and education programs will coincide with the exhibition.
Admission fees apply: Adult $15 / Concession $12 / Child $7.50 / Family $42
Principal Sponsor: Macquarie Group
Support Sponsors: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, Dulux, JCDecaux, Melbourne Airport

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