Untitled
Dublin Core
Title
Untitled
Subject
Landscape
Description
Shirlow’s work depicts a cathedral rising behind a tree lined street, featuring a car and two figures. Though Shirlow is renowned for his etchings, the hasty and imprecise application of the marks in this image suggest the use of a pen and ink. Shirlow’s use of line is urgent, revealing the motion of the artist’s hand. He controls the proximity of the lines to build tone, create form and perspective.
Upon inspection of Shirlow’s oeuvre, the image bears great resemblance with one of his earlier works, an etching entitled 'The Gothic Spire, in Collins Street. An evening effect' (Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria). The two compositions are almost identical, though the etching is rendered with far more precision and detail. Shirlow's title defines the location of his view as Collins Street, indicating that the spire depicted must be part of Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral. As the work in the Visitors’ Book does not fill the entire frame, the artist perhaps mimicked the dimensions of the original etching.
Shirlow built his own press and etching tools, studying Hamerton’s book ‘Etching and Etchers’ to learn the basic techniques of the artform (Butler, 1988; Cross, 1921, p. 2). A technically challenging and delicate practice, previous Australian artists had attempted etching, but found it too difficult to master (Cross, 1921, p. 14). Shirlow, however, persisted and became known as the first Australian artist to base his career around etching (Butler, 1988). He worked from nature and drew directly onto his plates, eventually publishing four books of his etchings (Butler, 1988). Though he explored other subjects, he favoured the architectural landscape and sketched city scenes of Melbourne avidly (Cross, 1921, p. 4, 6). As many of Shirlow’s images depict old buildings around Melbourne, his work is imbued with historical as well as artistic significance (Butler, 1988).
References
Butler, 1988: Roger Butler, ‘Shirlow, John Alexander Thomas (1869-1936)’ in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988. Accessed online 21 December 2017, URL: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/shirlow-john-alexander-thomas-8421.
Cross, 1921: Robert H Cross, ‘A Biographical Search’ in The Etched Work of John Shirlow: selected reproductions in half-tone of John Shirlow’s Handicraft, Melbourne: Alexander McCubbin, 1921.
Upon inspection of Shirlow’s oeuvre, the image bears great resemblance with one of his earlier works, an etching entitled 'The Gothic Spire, in Collins Street. An evening effect' (Melbourne, National Gallery of Victoria). The two compositions are almost identical, though the etching is rendered with far more precision and detail. Shirlow's title defines the location of his view as Collins Street, indicating that the spire depicted must be part of Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral. As the work in the Visitors’ Book does not fill the entire frame, the artist perhaps mimicked the dimensions of the original etching.
Shirlow built his own press and etching tools, studying Hamerton’s book ‘Etching and Etchers’ to learn the basic techniques of the artform (Butler, 1988; Cross, 1921, p. 2). A technically challenging and delicate practice, previous Australian artists had attempted etching, but found it too difficult to master (Cross, 1921, p. 14). Shirlow, however, persisted and became known as the first Australian artist to base his career around etching (Butler, 1988). He worked from nature and drew directly onto his plates, eventually publishing four books of his etchings (Butler, 1988). Though he explored other subjects, he favoured the architectural landscape and sketched city scenes of Melbourne avidly (Cross, 1921, p. 4, 6). As many of Shirlow’s images depict old buildings around Melbourne, his work is imbued with historical as well as artistic significance (Butler, 1988).
References
Butler, 1988: Roger Butler, ‘Shirlow, John Alexander Thomas (1869-1936)’ in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1988. Accessed online 21 December 2017, URL: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/shirlow-john-alexander-thomas-8421.
Cross, 1921: Robert H Cross, ‘A Biographical Search’ in The Etched Work of John Shirlow: selected reproductions in half-tone of John Shirlow’s Handicraft, Melbourne: Alexander McCubbin, 1921.
Creator
John Shirlow (1869 - 1936)
Source
Book of autographs of visitors to Louise Hanson-Dyer, manuscript, The University of Melbourne
Date
1927
Contributor
Reetika Khanna
Format
Ink and pen, 215 x 90 mm
Type
Image
Citation
John Shirlow (1869 - 1936), “Untitled,” Special Collections and Grainger Museum, accessed April 24, 2024, https://spcgm.omeka.net/items/show/9.