Sydney
LONG
Australia
1871
–
London
1955
England, Europe 1910-21; Australia 1921- 22; England 1922-25; Australia 1925-52; England from 1952
30.6 (h) x 61.0 (w) cm
Signed lower right 'SID LONG '. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra NGA 2006.2 acquired with the assistance of the Masterpieces for the Nation Fund 2006 Reproduced with the kind permission of the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia.
This small oil is the most beautiful and decorative version of Long’s many flamingo paintings. Drawing on the Art Nouveau style, he simplified and flattened the composition to resemble a frieze. He arranged the flamingoes’ sinuous necks in sensually flowing organic lines, creating a delicate cross patterning, with pairs of birds engaging with each other. He transformed the landscape, depicting the graceful curves of the birds silhouetted against a backdrop of highly stylised trees, and he strongly modelled and defined their forms to give them a sharp reality. With its palette of pinks and greys this painting links closely to Long’s Art Nouveau images.
The background and stylisation of the trees is similar to Long’s missing painting Pastoral 1909 and to the Mildred Lovett vase of 1909, based on Long's design (cat 113).
This painting was possibly the oil of flamingoes that was first shown in the 1907 ‘Society of Artists exhibition’ (240).
This small oil is the most beautiful and decorative version of Long’s many flamingo paintings. Drawing on the Art Nouveau style, he simplified and flattened the composition to resemble a frieze. He arranged the flamingoes’ sinuous necks in sensually flowing organic lines, creating a delicate cross patterning, with pairs of birds engaging with each other. He transformed the landscape, depicting the graceful curves of the birds silhouetted against a backdrop of highly stylised trees, and he strongly modelled and defined their forms to give them a sharp reality. With its palette of pinks and greys this painting links closely to Long’s Art Nouveau images.
The background and stylisation of the trees is similar to Long’s missing painting Pastoral 1909 and to the Mildred Lovett vase of 1909, based on Long's design (cat 113).
This painting was possibly the oil of flamingoes that was first shown in the 1907 ‘Society of Artists exhibition’ (240).
This small oil is the most beautiful and decorative version of Long’s many flamingo paintings. Drawing on the Art Nouveau style, he simplified and flattened the composition to resemble a frieze. He arranged the flamingoes’ sinuous necks in sensually flowing organic lines, creating a delicate cross patterning, with pairs of birds engaging with each other. He transformed the landscape, depicting the graceful curves of the birds silhouetted against a backdrop of highly stylised trees, and he strongly modelled and defined their forms to give them a sharp reality. With its palette of pinks and greys this painting links closely to Long’s Art Nouveau images.
The background and stylisation of the trees is similar to Long’s missing painting Pastoral 1909 and to the Mildred Lovett vase of 1909, based on Long's design (cat 113).
This painting was possibly the oil of flamingoes that was first shown in the 1907 ‘Society of Artists exhibition’ (240).
