George Feather Lawrence

Artist of the month by Tracy Collins, volunteer Gallery Guide

Lloyd Rees once said “I am not going to classify George Lawrence as belonging to any school of –ism”.

For most of his life Lawrence ( 1901 – 1981) was a commercial artist, working humbly in the same job for 30 years. He painted in the tradition of Turner, Pissaro and Monet.

An urban painter living in Sydney, he was drawn to painting cityscapes, streets, harbours, industrial sites and cities. In the late 1930’s and 1940’s he had several exhibitions around Sydney. In 1945, still virtually unknown, Lawrence held his first solo exhibition at the Macquarie Galleries in Sydney. It was well received mostly due to his association with William Dobell. When not working , Lawrence surrounded himself with distinguished artists such as Dobell who became a close mentor. Lawrence was awarded the Wynne Prize for landscapes by the Art Gallery of NSW in 1949.

A travelling French Impressionist exhibition had made a strong impression on Lawrence in 1939. Although he had won several art prizes, the money earned was not enough to support his family. By 1950, Lawrence was keen to travel abroad and immerse himself in European experiences both past and present. During his three trips to the Continent, he sketched and painted many cities: Paris, London, Florence Venice and Rome. These works received many accolades. He especially loved France but, unfortunately his trip was cut short because he contracted pneumonia while painting the Seine in Paris in extremely inclement weather.

Upon his return to Australia, Lawrence travelled extensively and his paintings portray iconic places from Yamba to the Iron Cove Bridge to Kiama on the South Coast. On trips to the Bathurst area, he visited the picturesque town of Sofala and painted the view of the town from the Turon River (1976). His black and white sketch of Hill End show he was influenced by the historic gold mining town.

Lawrence’s works illustrate how inspired he was by travel and he once said “Those streets and the people in them seemed so dreary and derelict – they needed loving”.

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery holds four works by George Feather Lawrence in the permanent collection, including Hobart Nocturne 1949 as displayed here.

IMAGE: George Feather Lawrence, Hobart Nocturne 1949, 1949, oil on composition board, 42 x 55cm.