Frederick MCCUBBIN
Australia 1855 – 1917

Sketchbook [NGV accn#: 687B.1-5 (old accn#687.2-5)] c.1909
pencil, watercolour, coloured chalks, gouache
page 25.0 (h) x 35.1 (w) cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Gift of Hugh McCubbin 1960

These are two of several of McCubbin’s sketchbooks held by the National Gallery of Victoria. One sketchbook (687B.1-5) includes drawings of South Yarra, looking towards the Burnley quarry, which relates to works such as The rainbow (Rainbow over Burnley) (cat 31) and The stone crusher (cat 56). It also includes views of Flinders Street railway station and of boats at Williamstown.

The other sketchbook (687F-5) was used during McCubbin’s trip to Europe in 1907 and includes drawings of Vesuvius and of the Castle St Elmo, Naples, as well as bush subjects and a drawing of his music-room that includes the screen he depicted in The red screen (cat 63).

McCubbin frequently used quickly applied short little strokes of the pencil, building up his image in tones, rather than outlines.