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Lewin - Wild Art

05 Mar-27 May ,

Walks, tours & gardens

First published on 5 Dec 2011. Updated on 14 Mar 2012.

You’re probably not familiar with the the name John William Lewin, but there are plenty of reasons to amend that. He was Australia’s first professional artist, sent to Australia by a wealthy entomologist in order to collect specimens for his insect collection. Lewin managed to miss the boat out, which wasn’t that great a start, but landed in 1800 and proceeded to collect, draw and paint Australia’s natural history – becoming the first author to publish an illustrated book in the colonies (and, as it happens, also he also scored another Australian first: he was involved in the nation’s first ever defamation case when his wife’s morals and behaviour were brought into question – truly, his is a storied history!).

This free exhibition presents over 150 of Lewin’s drawings and paintings, most of which were never seen by Australian eyes, curated by Mitchell Librarian Richard Neville. Neville has also written the first biography of Lewin: John Lewin: Painter & Naturalist. And it’s high time this important Australian artist got his due: during his 19 years in New South Wales Lewin was commissioned by ever Governor (including 15 watercolours depicting Governor Macquarie’s crossing of the Blue Mountains in 1815, included in this exhibition). “Lewin created a style adopted by Audubon and Gould 20 years later, but he never achieved the levels of success and recognition they did,” Neville explains. Maybe this exhibition can go some way to remedying that.

Visitors will also be able to view six well-known and emerging botanical artists at work weekdays in the State Library Galleries, from 10am to 2pm:

Paula Church, 5-16 March
Sally Gibbs, 19-30 March
Beverly Allen, 2-5, 10-13 April
Deidre Bean, 16-27 April
Rebecca Holmes, 30 Apri 11 May
Susannah Blaxill, 15 – 25 May

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