Snapshots on the Coast of Queensland
Date1896-1903
Object number00054300
NamePainting drawing
MediumWatercolour and ink on paper and board
DimensionsOverall: 760 × 1075 mm
Image: 75 × 160 mm
Image: 300 × 620 mm
Mount / Matt size (G Fini Mount): 900 × 1249 mm
ClassificationsArt
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis watercolour of a rare subject is a quite large and quite lovely work by Frederick Elliott, one of Australia's more romantic and accomplished artists of maritime interest working around the 1900s.
Elliott's work depicting the islands off the coast relates to longstanding traditions of coastal profiling, where he has blended topographical recording with pictorial conventions, with the addition of steam ships, lighthouse and birds for instance.
While altogether the work is a concise pictorial summary 'snapshot' of Queensland islands around the time of Federation, each one of these images is a unique work of art and a delight. The work was most probably painted when Elliott as an assignemnt for the Queensland Govern,ent Printer where he worked from 1896-1903.HistoryFrederick James (Fred) Elliott (1864-1949) Australia, artist and lithographer
Biographical Information (AARecords ARt and Design and Art Australia online)
Frederick Elliott was born in 1864 in Paignton, near Brixham, Devon. He travelled to Australia in 1876 with his father Alfred Elliott, who was a teacher at Humpybong, near Redcliffe, Queensland. Frederick Elliott worked as a lithographic artist for the Queensland Government Printing Office between 1896 and about 1903 and it is likely that this work was done during this period. His active period was 1890-1930. He was a prolific artist, painting almost invariably in watercolours, occasionally in oils. He specialised in marine watercolour studies, travelling up and down the coast by ship and sketching scenes that he later turned into paintings. Elliott was active in Sydney from the 1890s to the 1920s, mainly painting Sydney Harbour (more correctly known as Port Jackson, NSW), including views and individual ships. His watercolours are characterised by a high key and strong atmospheric effects. He showed his paintings infrequently in the Queensland National Association’s exhibitions and with the Queensland Art Society and the NSW Society of Artists. He signed his paintings “F. Elliott” and in this case 'Fred Elliott'. He died in Paddington, Sydney 1/3/1949
Birth date 1864 Birth place Paignton, Devon, England Birth note UK birth registration
Sep 1864, district Totnes, vol. 5b p. 161
Death date 1 March 1949
Death place Paddington, NSW
Death note NSW death registration 4431/1949 Active Period c.1890-c.1930
Arrival 1876 (Queensland)
Residence c.1890-c.1949 Sydney, NSW
c.1876-c.1890 Queensland
Other Occupation lithographic artist (lithographic artist Queensland Government Printing Office.
Biography (168 words)
SignificanceThis work shows a rare subject and is quite large and quite lovely. It has impact and is a good example of the talents of Frederick Elliott, one of Australia's more romantic and accomplished artists of maritime interest working around the 1900s.
Elliott's work depicts the islands off the coast and relates to longstanding traditions of coastal profiling, blending topographical views with pictorial conventions, including steam ships, lighthouse and birds for instance.
While altogether the work is a concise pictorial summary 'snapshot' of Queensland islands around the time of Federation, each one of these images is a unique work of art and a delight.
