Frederick MCCUBBIN
Australia 1855 – 1917

Looking towards Richmond Hill 1913
oil on canvas
49.6 (h) x 75.0 (w) cm
Lionel Lindsay Gallery and Library collection, Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Queensland

This is another view from near the artist’s home, looking northwards over the Yarra River towards the industrial suburb of Richmond. McCubbin enjoyed depicting images of the Yarra as it flowed below his garden, with the view of the suburb beyond. He painted it numerous times, in varying conditions, and from different angles. As in Coming of spring (cat 54), here he captured a crisp early morning light, with Richmond shown under a blue haze. He adopted a high viewpoint, showing only a small segment of the home-side land with cattle visible in the foreground.

He painted the view looking into the light, with the sun lighting up the sky, buildings, land and water. He did so using the subtle harmonies of blues, mauves and greens, applied in small dabs.

Looking towards Richmond Hill was one of two works by McCubbin owned by Toowoomba resident and businessman, William Bolton. He was a friend of Lionel Lindsay and acquired a substantial art collection between the 1950s and 1973, with the advice of Daryl Lindsay, the then director of the National Gallery of Victoria.