Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

The Australian Womens Weekly 10 October 1979 Renoir's characteristic impreaeionist maaterplece, "Woman with a Parasol," painted around 1873. S ome of the world 's most valuable and admired paintings. from the rich von Thyssen collection of modern art, are being brought to Australia for e><hibltlon around the country. The e><hlbltion - 105 paintings worth a total of more than $20m - Includes works by such European masters as Cezanne, van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso. Degas and Monet. The exciting scoop was secured by ofliclala of the Western Australian Art Gallery who first approached Baron von ThYBN!:l'for a loan of 60 paintings from his collection for the gallery's opening in Perth. " For two years we had been negotia– ting to get a first class exhibition for the opening." said gallery director Frank Ellis . " Now Baron von Thyssen was offering us far more than we had dared hope. Not only did he agree to lend us some paintings from his fabulous collec– tion, but he told me we could have 105 paintings instead of the 60 we had originally asked for. and he extended 1h11 time of the loan to 12 months. This means Australians In five States will have the chance to see the Thyssen collec– tion, the most exciting exhibition of modern art ever to come to this country... The paintings trace the development of modern art from the 1870s to the 1970s. Other notable artists whose works are included are Miro, Klee, Chagall. Mondrian as well as Americans Pollock. Dove, Demuth and Hopper. One painting alone, Van Gogh's 1888 "Les Dechargeurs a Aries." is officially valued at $1 .5 million. Negotiations for a loan from the von Thyssen collection started in New York two years ago through WA Art Gallery Board member Mark Saunders. Eventually the word came back that the Baron was sympathetic to the idea. II was time for a meeting with Mr Ellis, who by then had been appointed director of the WA Gallery. He flew to London where he met the Baron for lunch and was given the good news. " His only condition is that the collection should be properly presented as a major International exhibition, with a high quality full colour catalogue," said an elated Mr Ellis. The WA gallery board was delighted with the Baron's decision to make the exhibition available as a national project. Not only would many more Australians be able to see the paintings, but the organization and huge cost ($700,000) of mounting the exhibition could now be shared with other States. The Australian Gallery Directors Council is handling the arrangements for the Australian tour. The exhibition will open in Perth on October 2, going to Adelaide (for eight weeks from December 7). Brisbane (February 12 to March 30). Melbourne (April 17 to May 30) and Sydney (July 25 toi11ust 24). The Baron and Baron'ili '110n Thys– sen will be In Perth for tt1e· i\d 0 llpen– lng, one of the major eve ls ·01 WA's 150th annlversay celebrations. l'.'/ - MARGOT LANG -- '4. ..J ..-.;,,.__ ..... -•. ~,...... _........, . ..,,_.____ _ I ·1 I~ Ii...; ·- - -. ,, "Telephone Booths" by Richard E,,