Sydney New South Wales, south view
Publisher
Gentleman's Magazine
(1731 - 1922)
Date1824
Object number00000858
NamePrint
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 90 x 164 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis engraving entitled `Sydney, New South Wales, S. View' was published in the Gentleman's Magazine in May 1824 and is based on a watercolour by Richard Read, 'View of Sydney Cove taken from the north shore, Port Jackson', painted about 1820.HistoryArtist Richard Read was born in London about 1765. In 1812 he was sentenced in London to transportation for 14 years and arrived in New South Wales in the EARL SPENCER in October 1813. He was granted a ticket-of-leave in December, and next January his wife and daughter arrived as free settlers in the KANGAROO.
In November 1814 Read advertised in the Sydney Gazette the establishment of his drawing school, the first in Australia, at 37 Pitt Street, Sydney. In addition to offering lessons in the 'polite and elegant art of drawing in its most elevated branches', he had for sale designs for embroidery, drawings and paintings of 'various subjects' and announced his readiness to execute miniatures and portraits. In a notice of February 1821 he described the drawings as 'views of various parts of New Holland … drawings of Birds, Flowers, Native Figures, etc.' Read taught drawing, painted portraits and decorated colonial mansions (Government House) until the late 1820s.
It is probable that Read left the colony with his family after he was pardoned. No record of later work or of his death can be traced in New South Wales.
(Information taken from the Australian Dictionary of Biography)
SignificanceWhile this engraving is based on Richard Read's earlier watercolour with some small compositional alterations of ships, it reproduces the details of the harbour foreshore faithfully - catering for the desire of readers to see pictures of the fledgling colony of New South Wales.
