david coombe history
SUMMARY: An Exhibition of Pictures, principally the work of Colonial Artists ran over a week from Thursday 11 February 1847 and showed 178 pictures. Gill was the most prolific exhibitor with 62 entries, including his 33 work Horrocks series and five other Horrocks related pictures. We can dispense with the idea of a highly refined art exhibition. Apart from Gill, this was an exhibition of local amateur artists and several works were unfinished. This article analyses three views of Port Adelaide which seem to have been painted just days before the exhibition, two of which are anachronistic!
Article type: NARRATIVE, ANALYSIS & CATALOGUE
In this article ...
In October 1846 Gill was in the country working on his pictures from the Horrocks expedition and it was hoped he might exhibit.1 By November he'd moved into new rooms in Leigh Street (see Gill Adelaide map).
On 7 November his student W.A. Cawthorne wrote:
I have seen Gill for the first time since his arrival from the expedition. With his 25 pictures of the same dreary country. He has set up again close by as Artist Laureate. There is going to be an "Amateur Artist Exhibition". I am going to paint for it.2
As one of the prime movers behind the exhibition a preoccupied Gill may have missed an otherwise inconsequential event a few days earlier. It concerned the ship Ville de Bordeaux, moored in the stream at Port Adelaide, which was prominent in Gill's favoured view looking south-east to the Port from across the Reach. (Cawthorne also painted the same view, likely encouraged to do so by his art master.) On 4 November 1846 "Ville de Bordeaux was moved from the position which she has occupied for so many years, and was moored about half-a-mile below the McLaren wharf."3 Having been a feature for years, she no longer dominated the scene!
On 12 December it was reported Gill's "collection of sketches" from the Horrocks expedition was complete and destined for a private raffle among Horrocks' friends.4 Unfortunately the same day it was also reported that the list of ticket holders had been lost!
In the New Year, Robert Hall returned from a travelling Daguerreotype visit to Perth. (He'd been away since mid-October having hitched a ride with Captain John Finnis aboard the Joseph Albino.) On his return to Adelaide, Hall reopened his Daguerreotype studio5 and would show four Daguerreotypes at the coming exhibition, with three being portraits of Aboriginal people.
Mr Hall the Naturalist, has returned, after a most successful campaign, for which he is indebted more to mercantile than to scientific or artisticial pursuits. He does not paint the place [Perth] in very glowing colours. The deserted houses; the utter absence of shops; and above all, the sandy roads into which the foot sinks for half a-yard are matters of especial disgust. The last would be to him a peculiar inconvenience.6
(Hall had a wooden leg.)
On 9 January there was news of Gill's raffle, a fresh artistic assignment and advance notice of Adelaide's first exhibition of multiple artists.
A raffle came off on Wednesday at the Government Offices, thirty members at one guinea each, for the paintings comprising original sketches taken by Mr Gill during his travels and sojourn in the bush with the late lamented Mr Horrocks.
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Mr Gill ... is now occupied in the production of a bird's-eye view of the Glen Osmond silver lead mines, in which the respective lodes and their appellations will be distinctly indicated. Although short of completion, it is already manifest that the drawing will be a faithful representation; and to parties in England it will vividly depict the far-famed and really beautiful locality.
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In addition to the treat which is to be afforded the good people of Adelaide and their country friends at the approaching exhibition, under the auspices of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, it is intended that an exhibition of oil paintings, water colour, and pencil drawings, by amateurs, shall take place at the Council Chamber during the same week ...7
The Glen Osmond work was for Osmond Gilles who had just leased his mine and was "laying out a village at Glen Osmond, reserving sites for a place of worship and a school ; from its beautiful locality, it must become one of the most charming of our suburban villages."8 Here was a real estate job for Gill.
On 23 January there were more details on the "Exhibition of Pictures" by South Australian artists:
THE FINE ARTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. – An exhibition is to be opened during the week of the Agricultural and Horticultural Show for the exhibition of paintings and drawings by our South Australian artists – professional and amateur. His Excellency the Governor has kindly granted the use of the Council Room, and a Committee has been formed to make the preliminary arrangements – of which official notice will be given in our next. In the meantime, Mr Gill, the artist, will receive at his rooms in Leigh street, such paintings as are desired to be exhibited; and we mention this circumstance at once, under the impression that an early transmission of finished paintings will greatly facilitate the labors of the Committee.9
Formal notice came the following week (noting pictures were to be sent not to Gill but directly to the Council Room):
HIS EXCELLENCY the Lieut.-Governor having been pleased to grant the use of the Council Room for the purpose –
AN EXHIBITION OF
PICTURES, principally the work of Colonial Artists, will be opened on Wednesday the 10th of February, and continue open for one week, from 11 till 4 o clock, daily, Sunday excepted.
Admittance 1s. Catalogues 6d.
It is requested that all pictures intended for exhibition be sent to the Council Room on Monday the 8th February, between the hours of 10 and 1 o'clock.
By direction of the Committee, CHAS. BERKELEY, 30th January, 1847. Hon. Sec.
The surplus receipts will be held by the Committee as a fund towards the formation of a Society for the promotion of art in the Colony.10
With just days to go before the exhibition, did Gill have some last minute changes imposed upon him by circumstances?
On the afternoon of 29 January a fire destroyed Wakeling's Port Tavern and other buildings. The fire was under control by the time the Governor and the 11th Regiment, including Lieutenant John Roe – Gill's soon to be client for The Seasons and The Months – arrived from town.11
Within a week it was learnt the hotel would be rebuilt.12 Did the fire prompt Gill to hurriedly paint three views of Port Adelaide for the exhibition? Or had he already begun these and just needed small last minute changes? (Cawthorne delivered his own pictures as late as the day before the Exhibition opening.13)
Some answers are found in a group of three AGSA pictures – 0.655, 0.656, 0.657 – that seem to be the Port Adelaide trio in the exhibition. Nothing needed changing for No. 141, Port Adelaide (looking north along Commercial Road, AGSA 0.656). Two other pictures had minor changes as a result of the fire. No. 146, Port, from the W. Side of the Stream (AGSA 0.657), shows what appears to be a new Port Tavern; however in this area of the picture Gill seems to have not finished the buildings. In No. 150, View of the Port (looking across Gawler Reach, AGSA 0.655), the two storey tavern is under construction and surrounded by scaffolding.
So far, so good, Gill made the Port Tavern "up to date" (or perhaps ahead of time). (These early 1847 representations are not nearly as confident as those Gill achieved in his 1848 versions). Two pictures still had Ville de Bordeaux at its usual mooring – one it no longer occupied. Had Gill missed this news while in the country painting his Horrocks series? Or did he decide the marginal anachronism was not worth correcting? After all, although the ship was no longer there, it was still where people expected to see it.
AGSA has three Gill watercolours of the Port all signed and dated "STG/47" which were purchased in 1923 as a group (0.655, 0.656 and 0.657) from Mr C P Green, Malvern, England. (Thanks to AGSA for correspondence regarding acquisition details.) This is likely collector Charles Pratt Green.
These seem to correspond to the three views of Port Adelaide shown by Gill in the exhibition. Combined with an analysis of the content in these pictures, the implication is Gill painted them just days before the exhibition!
An Exhibition of Pictures, principally the work of Colonial Artists was held in the Council Room, North Terrace, Adelaide, from 11 to 17 February 1847.14 (Its opening had been postponed by a day from the original announcement.)
The exhibition showed 178 pictures.15 Gill was the most prolific exhibitor with 62 entries, including his 33 work Horrocks series, five additional Horrocks related pictures and 24 more general works. Gill initially co-ordinated entries at his studio, and later at the venue. His series of 33 was hung chronologically. All these factors imply Gill was the main exhibition organiser. The official committee was chaired by Charles Sturt and had Charles Berkeley as secretary.17 (His wife Martha Berkeley had 14 works in the catalogue.)
We can dispense with the idea of a highly refined art exhibition. Two pictures by Martha Berkeley were catalogued as unfinished (nos. 4 and 19, possibly oil paintings). And the newspaper reported Skipper's no. 7 was unfinished.15 George Hamilton included a couple of pencil sketch "outlines".
Not all was wonderful though.
Mr Angas's Governor Grey is so vile a thing that we wonder the redoubted warrior did not see it burnt before he left. It has neither make, shape, nor tone in it. We never saw a production of Mr Angas's which pleased us so ill. A Mr Hall has sent in certain things in which trees like cabbages and skies like lobster spawn are the prevailing features – between Chinese and Japanese productions, well worth all the shilling to see as curiosities.15
There were at least 21 exhibitors. In approximate order of appearance in the catalogue (+ known works not in the catalogue):
Other works were presumably received too late to be printed in the catalogue, including two mentioned in the newspaper and two by Martha Berkeley as noted on her copy of the catalogue. (Wilson and Borrow, 309.)
Sigificantly in this exhibition, all the artists were "locals" and all amateurs apart from Gill. This was in contrast to Adelaide's previous exhibition 20 months earlier, the solo exhibition of visitor George French Angas.
The single entries by Burnard and (William) Light are described as "most valuable as relics of departed friends".15 I think "Burnard" is Robert Bernard, Registrar General, who died 23 October 1840 and not either of the Robert Burnards identified in DAAO.16
There were many overseas subjects in the exhibition and Gill included one of his English pictures: "Waterfall on the River Plym, Devonshire" painted before the Gill family's 1839 emigration.
Judging by the financial summary17 (and conservatively assuming about a quarter bought catalogues) about 400 attended over 6 open days. The exhibition made a surplus of £10/7/6.
The exhibition catalogue is sourced from Wilson and Borrow 1973. Appendix N lists 173 numbered exhibits of the 1847 exhibition while Appendix M has 55 numbered exhibits of the 1848 exhibition. (The book inadvertently switched the dates of the two exhibitions. I haven't been able to check the primary source and I rely on their book for the list of exhibits.)
Listed below are select items from the catalogue attributed to Gill, excluding the "Horrocks 33" which are treated separately at:
The list shows the catalogue's number and exhibited title. If there is a probable corresponding work a reference and/or link is also given.
Gill's exhibits are from a range of dates. The Horrocks expedition pictures were certainly new. Others works would have been executed in previous years.
To see the works, with accompanying notes, just scroll down or jump to the List of Works.
Cawthorne. William Anderson Cawthorne - journal, 1846-1849. Digitised at SLNSW: <https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/9gkdb3m9>.
1. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 3 October 1846: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934211>
2. Cawthorne's diary, 7 November 1846. <https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/9gkdb3m9/PwDMBvzJ6kmz3>
3. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 21 November 1846: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934342>
4. Adelaide Observer, 12 December 1846: 5. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158923616>
5. South Australian Register, 16 January 1847: 1. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48543984>
6. South Australian Register, 6 January 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48545631>
7. Adelaide Observer, 9 January 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158923698>
8. South Australian, 25 December 1846: 6. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71606827>
9. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 23 January 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934527>
10. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 30 January 1847: 1. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934551>
11. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 30 January 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934534>
12. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 6 February 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934575>
13. Cawthorne's diary, 10 February 1847. <https://collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/9gkdb3m9/kbjom3xvEEKdZ>
14. South Australian, 9 February 1847: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71607267>
15. South Australian Register, 13 February 1847: 2. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48544453>
16. Southern Australian, 27 October 1840: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71620237> and not the house painter or his son of Design & Art Australia Online (DAAO) <https://www.daao.org.au/bio/robert-burnard/> and <https://www.daao.org.au/bio/robert-burnard-1/>.
17. South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 20 February 1847: 1. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934618>
Scroll down to see the pictures along with detailed notes or click a link to jump to a specific work from the list.
Port Adelaide from the opposite side of the stream 1847 | Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales PXD 39 f.15
Artist: Cawthorne, W.A. | Date: 1846~/1847~
Main listing: S.T. Gill and W.A. Cawthorne
A view generally south-east across Gawler Reach / Hindmarsh Reach to Port Adelaide. A two page panorama by Gill's student WA Cawthorne. Cawthorne's image includes Aboriginal people unlike other comtemporary executions of this view, although Gill does include Aboriginal people in his other Port Adelaide views. In contrast to Gill, Cawthorne places too much rigging on "Ville de Bordeaux". This work shows Gill's influences on his student. (Signed WAC l.r.)
The watercolour SLNSW-M PXD 39 f.15 is derived from the pencil SLNSW PXB 233, with both panoramas taking three pages of a sketchbook. The watercolour adds a foreground shore with Aboriginal people.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
462
Port Adelaide, S.A | Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales SSV*/Sp Coll/Gill/3
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1845-07~/1847-01~ | Appleyard cat. 50 | 11.7(H) x 17.6(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill and E.L. Montefiore
A view generally south-east across Gawler Reach / Hindmarsh Reach to Port Adelaide. The Mount Lofty Ranges are in the background. Prominent are the South Australian Company stores (McLaren warehouse, red building, left) and the Customs House (white building, centre). Between them are the flagstaff and the "canal" beside Queen's Wharf. On the river side of the Customs House are the Queen's wharf warehouses. At right is the confiscated French ship "Ville de Bordeaux". In picture between this ship and the Customs House is the Port Tavern (before it was destroyed by fire on 29 January 1847). This is Gill's more favoured angle across the Reach showing the north and west sides of the Company store.
The scene is no later than November 1846 when "the Ville de Bordeaux was moved from the position which she has occupied for so many years, and was moored about half-a-mile below the McLaren wharf." South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 21 November 1846: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934342>.
This is almost identical to AGSA 0.655 (dated 1847 by the artist). The view, construction, colour scheme, beached boat and even the tide are the same. The smoke emanating from the foredeck of the "Ville de Bordeaux" is the same blue. What differs is the Port Tavern. This SLNSW work has the original tavern before it burnt down on 29 January 1847. The AGSA work shows the replacement hotel under construction and surrounded by scaffolding; it was well underway in March 1847. This smaller SLNSW work just predates the larger AGSA one.
A plausible theory is that Gill started with the smaller work but the Port Adelaide fire intervened and to be contemporary Gill's final larger picture had to incorporate a replacement Port Tavern under construction. This smaller work was later given by Gill to his student E.L. Montefiore.
For more detail see the catalogue / main entry.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
211
Port Adelaide looking across Gawler Reach | Art Gallery of South Australia 0.655
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1847-01-30~/1847-02-10~ | Appleyard cat. 52 | 19.7(H) x 32.4(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - 1847 Exhibition of Pictures
A view generally south-east across Gawler Reach / Hindmarsh Reach to Port Adelaide. The Mount Lofty Ranges are in the background. Prominent are the South Australian Company stores (McLaren warehouse, red building, left) and the Customs House (white building, centre). Between them are the flagstaff and the "canal" beside Queen's Wharf. On the river side of the Customs House are the Queen's wharf warehouses. At right is the confiscated French ship "Ville de Bordeaux". Between this ship and the Customs House in the picture is a two storey building under construction and surrounded by scaffolding - the Port Tavern.
This is Gill's more favoured angle across the Reach showing the north and west sides of McLaren warehouse.
The original Port Tavern was destroyed by fire on 29 January 1847. In March 1847 Henry Mildred was able to obtain his licence for the replacement building even though it wasn't yet ready for occupation. The presence of both "Ville de Bordeaux" and a reconstructing Port Tavern is anachronistic. On 4 November 1846 "Ville de Bordeaux was moved from the position which she has occupied for so many years, and was moored about half-a-mile below the McLaren wharf." South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, 21 November 1846: 3. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195934342>.
Signed and dated by Gill: "STG/47".
Here Gill has reprised one of his favourite views, which was "correct" in November 1846, and has updated it to take into account the January 1847 fire, perhaps in time for the 1847 Exhibition in February. Gill's 1848 version of this scene more confidently shows the new Port Tavern.
This and another picture are almost identical. What is the relationship between AGSA 0.655 and SLNSW SSV*/Sp Coll/Gill/3? The view, construction, colour scheme, beached boat and even the tide are the same. The smoke emanating from the foredeck of the "Ville de Bordeaux" is the same blue. What differs is the Port Tavern. The SLNSW work has the original tavern before it burnt down on 29 January 1847. The AGSA work, signed and dated 1847, shows the replacement hotel under construction and surrounded by scaffolding - it was well underway in March 1847. These pictures were likely painted about the same time. The SLNSW image is only half the dimensions of the AGSA work. A plausible theory is that from a pencil sketch Gill started with the smaller work but the Port Adelaide fire intervened and to be contemporary Gill's final larger picture had to incorporate the replacement Port Tavern under construction. The smaller work was later given by Gill to his student E.L. Montefiore.
Likely corresponds to February 1847 exhibition no. 150. View of the Port.
One of three 1847 Port Adelaide pictures purchased by AGSA in 1923 from Mr C P Green, Malvern, England.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
219
Port Adelaide looking east along North Parade | Art Gallery of South Australia 0.657
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1847-01-30~/1847-02-10~ | Appleyard cat. 54 | 19.4(H) x 32(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - 1847 Exhibition of Pictures
A view at Port Adelaide east along North Parade. The prominent building (distant centre) is the South Australian Company store (McLaren warehouse) with McLaren Wharf in front and Queen's Wharf nearer the viewer. Down the road at right is the red two storey Port Tavern with four chimneys (finished after March 1847) and behind it is the white two storey Customs House. At left on the water is the seized French ship "Ville de Bordeaux". There is an anachronism here as in November 1846 "the Ville de Bordeaux was moved from the position which she has occupied for so many years, and was moored about half-a-mile below the McLaren wharf." It appears as though Gill didn't finish painting in a couple of the buildings at right. Unlike another picture in this set, Port Tavern has no roof, verandah or scaffolding.
Signed and dated by Gill: "STG/47".
Likely corresponds to February 1847 exhibition no. 146. Port, from the W. Side of the Stream.
One of three 1847 Port Adelaide pictures purchased by AGSA in 1923 from Mr C P Green, Malvern, England.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
221
Port Adelaide looking north along Commercial Road | Art Gallery of South Australia 0.656
Artist: Gill, S.T. | Date: 1847-01/1847-02-10~ | Appleyard cat. 53 | 20(H) x 32(W) cm
Catalogue: S.T. Gill - 1847 Exhibition of Pictures
A view of Port Adelaide looking north up the "canal" with the flagstaff (with crows nest and hanging banner) at the end. This short canal ran off the Port River in line with the Commercial Road and between Queen's Wharf (left of picture) and McLaren Wharf (right). Prominent are the South Australian company store (McLaren Warehouse - two storey red building at right) and the Customs House (two storey white building at left). At near right is "R. Venn, butcher" (Robert Venn) and the "Comercial (sic.) Inn" (with its front light). A man hails the port cart for his small family.
Signed and dated by Gill: "STG/47". On paper with watermark "J WHATMAN 1845" (Appleyard). Paper size is half foolscap.
Likely corresponds to February 1847 exhibition no. 141. Port Adelaide.
It is a scene twin with NLA NK210 which seems to have been painted for James Allen in late 1845. Interestingly the South Australian Company building loft door is half open in both this picture and its twin. A booth to the left of the canal and the varied "Venn" sign distinguishes this version from the 1845 version.
One of three 1847 Port Adelaide pictures purchased by AGSA in 1923 from Mr C P Green, Malvern, England.
Map | S. T. Gill - Port Adelaide
220
David Coombe. Original 14 November 2023. Updated 13 September 2024. | text copyright (except where indicated)
CITE THIS: David Coombe, 2023-2024, S.T. Gill - 1847 Exhibition of Pictures, accessed dd mmm yyyy, <https://coombe.id.au/S_T_Gill/S_T_Gill_and_1847_Exhibition.htm>