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

By TERRY INGRAM THE death of Sir Leon Trout in Brisbane has brought to an end 1hc long career of one of Qucensland's two lend– ing art patrom and col– lectors, and a man of noted gristle. The son of II master bui-.-n– er, Sir Leon presillc1.f over lhc uffairs of 1he Queensland Arl Gallery during perhaps 1hc bloodicsl pcrioJ i,, lhe his1ory of nny Australian url gallery. Known unuffcctionutcly :,~ "Sirloin Trout" - fur Sir I.con publicly was II m11n 10 inspire respec1 bu1 n01 affcc1ion - he wns oflen in connic1 wi1h Jirectors (unlil he founJ 11 ,nil• :iblc nominee for lhe job) 11nJ fellow truslecs, Trus1eethips, which 11rc hon– orury public posilions of some dis1inc1ion 11nJ nol liglll· ly to be rcnouncec.l, were un• commonly resigned dnring his long lcnurc in olfice. The ar1is1 Daphne Ma)'o wus a,mor g lhose 10 ~ive up n public posilion lo whrch muny mipht aspire. Another to leave wns Russell Financial reveiw May, 25, 1978 Gift of paintings softens the image of rugged Sir Leon rupp:1illgr. r111hcr or lhe Slh> ,cv~:111 ;11 1is1 Virginia. Lit c Sir L,·011, ~lr Cuppai,lgc has p1 m.:1hul ;1s :i luwycr, ant.I has ;ih, ay" rcfu~cd to be Urawn on 1hc reasons for his dcpur- 1111·c from lhe boarJ or lrll~ICCS. B111 lhe rcsi@nation is knm, n 10 h:ivc 1;1kcn pince nt a time when Sir Leon prop– os1.·<l to nrnkc n cush girt to lhe Q11ccn, l11ml Arl Ga llery, thi.: 111uncy to be used to pur– chusc p:11'1 or his collec1ion. The uhvious :.1ppcul of mak– ing lhc ~ifl lhis way would lrnvc been :1 111x saving, for us lhc tux JawS Mood then it was impossible lo bencfil from lhe gifl of ;ic111;1I works to a gul– krv if 1hc works haJ been hci,I for more 1han 12 months. As 1reas11rer or 1he gullery, Mr C uppaillgc woulJ have h:id tu ,ign the chc<111c. Mc re,ignc:d before the nci:t.·"!,ily arose. Appun:ntly, 1hc rc~ignation was causcll murc hy how Sir Leon hml i,\Ollc abuut the nwttcr 1h:tn a c111cs1 ion of values. ·1 he matter is umlcr~tooll 10 huvc fullcn 1hro11gh. Sir Leon subsequen1ly ma,le lwo cash donations 10 1hc pal– lcry :111<1 11 number of his pie• tllrcs cntcn:J 1hc gallery's col• lcl·tion . The vul11u1io11s were ma<le imlcpenJenlly. Sir Leon was a rugge<I .inll blunl mun who knew whul he like<I. He J iJ 1101 have 1he sa1nc "modernist" inclinntions of llrishanc's 01hcr 1101cd ml• lci;.tor of Aus1rnlian url, Dr Norman Behan. He accordingly Ji,1 nol nlw11ys fi 11d himself in syrnpa· lhy wilh Luurie Thomas, 1he c11llery·s dircclor for some ears. Before 1h:>1. 1hcrc had cen friclion wi1h Robcn aincs, its previous Jirector. T he c;1rly urt indinntions of Sir Leon Troul were rcflcclcd in the naming of some of lhe streets in the suhdivision of Evcrlon P11rk which he owned. Among others, ·lhere is ii Dargie Street :me.I a Namn1jira S1rcc1. Sir Leon 11ml LaJy Tronl became keen clients of the Melbourne ,lculcr Joseph Brown untl were noted for 11 demand for service nnd £or puying righl on lhc Joi. ,. , The dcmaml for service dul not go down quite ns well nt galleries in Bond Street where the T routs p11n:ha1icd n few works hy minor French lm– pressionis1s. Al1ho11gh on nrl mailers Sir Leon was not easily in– fluenced, lhe rnllcc1ion docs bc;1r ;111 imprint of Melbourne denier Joseph Brown. Mr Brown. however. seems to huvc been unable 111 shuke 1hc Tro111s·s loyully 10 1he artists of lesser tlis1inc1ion 1h111 1hcy h11d grown 10 like in their earlier years of collectins;. Yel lhc TroulS were mlven· 111ro11s cullcdors in their limit- ell way um.I some greal Aus1rnli11ri, p11in1inss found their w11y in10 1hc colleclion. The, pun excused. lhey look like fio;h 10 wntcr 10 the work of John Peter Russell. Few panics 01her 1han pub· lie gulkrie:s huve .gone ovcr– hoar<I for Ru,scll 10 lhe ex.lent thut the Tro11ts dill. The cxhibi1ion W111cr• colrn•rs. from 1hc collection of Sir Leon anJ Lady Troul now showinc. at the Q11censl1,11ul /\rl Gallery, includes 12 works t,y Russell. T he Tro111s displayed II rare willingness to purchnse a por– lrnit 011 its mcri1s. The Au:uralian art murkct is l111Hl– s~1q,c-orie111a1cd 11ml ponrait~. however good. .ire very trnr<I 10 move unlc~s the) nrc of ob· vious appc.iling objects. s11d1 w.. prc11 y girls. II is nire :tlso to find collec– tors in i\11s1rali:1 wi1h nn cn– l husiasrn for non-,\110\tralinn nrt. T he Truut collection in– cludes u Pi111l Signnr. a l1111dc-E111ilc Schuffcncdcr. two G11°'tavc l.oise1111-i. a ~la;(• irnc ~l:111rrn ;iml IWO Henry 1urc1,. Par1 of Sir I.con'" nrn,1cr h111r hcr"s p:111 imoiw wa~ 11 350-IIL'rC pathlod, al F\'cl'lon. A, Uri, lrnnl' csp11ntlcll. the. proper!) grew t'\L'I more \'ilhl– nhll.'. 11 i, ,aid thnl \\hcncvcr he w11n1cd ,1 ~tcC'nhbin, 1111 Sir Leon h:id 1t1 do \\11~ to ,d i l1ff 111n1hcr hlul.'1,.. IJc rcp11!L'dly m.1n iL'<I in1t1 a ~ 111r n1l'1.d 111heri1.1m·l· :iml hi, f.,"11 11111t., 1,n,,pl'll'll. 1 fl! hl'· 1...111w ,1 f1 k nd of ~IL'111ic-t: ,111\i a t,.n icl11hnod (o!lo,\ ctl 1rnhl1r: -,crvkC' :ind. n11 d011h1 l'1)i11ci• dc11111ll v. 111, .1111111111 • ,~ill In 1•,d1r,111)! I t1ml, l\l1 hl' I ihcrnl 1'111 I\'. I Ii, l',l.11(' h.1, ht'l'll \,d111.•d •.r , ~ rnillion "ii I l•,111 dit,:,1 ,,· lhl' ,t!-'C nf 7! 1d u:r h ·inJ! Ill lnr II r11111'lc f VC,11 \, ·1he ()11l'1.'11,J:11hl 1\11 U.11• kr \' 111111ro1 lnl\c been di, – nrpni11r cd 111111 1111 pif1, ,1,acre 1a11ni11ala.:\I in hi, \\Ill. \Vith 11t> d1ihlr1.·n. Sir I cnn h;,1'\ cffctl– ivcly ldt lhl! prohkm uf lhc f11111rc of the culln:1iun \'- ilh Lady Trn111. ,, hu is now u\'cr– bCUS. L:uly Truul hatii heighlcncd thu ~npport Sir Leon gaVl" 10 the gallery l)vcr the: yc,ir, , ith the sift ,,f 11111c fine paiming"I 10 lhe ~allcr)' .:ollcclion. The J;ift comprises lhrcc Gruner,. unl! McC ubbin. n Slreeion, a Conder, a Sid Long. a T\ldnncs um.I a Do– bell. The\' arc The Wave, Bench Scene lllnn<li), and Dreamy Morning, ~li<l<lle Harbour hy Gruner: The Edge of 1he Foresi hy ~kC'uhbin; Ske1ch for S1ill 'Gli<les lhc Slrc:rm and Shall Forever G lido by Streeton; L,1mlsc:apc with Thc- 0Joli1e by omkr; an un1ille<I lnndscupc hy Long; a L:rnd– scnpe by Mcl11nes; and Kcn– singlon Ganlcns by Dobcll. This very rinc £if1 of mosl• ly lmprc'\,;:ionist pnintings should help soflcn 1hc i111prcs– sit10 left by a rugged im.livit.1- ual who supported thl! gallery 1101 onlv wil h ca"h hill with his lime and cnt:rgy. C\'Cll if 1he l1111cr wa, .. nnt :ilway"' :1 p– pn·d111cJ by all r :ir1ics. IT lrns lakcn more th:m good luck for Sydn,·y an tiquarian bookseller Ken S1cw..ir1 10 put 10J:!Clh1.•r his rl·nownc.:d ~ollci.:– tion of works by lhc l..'oloninl mlisl Cnnr:id T\·fa rtcn~. A lollcry win anll, a few lud y s1rc:1!,.s al 1t1c races hclpc,I. of larc. 1ml it lank a lot of !,.1wr !,.inl! on doors nl limes lo µc l tngL•thcr this ma"''-''' l'Olk l'lion of wurJ...s hy 1hc "Turner nr rhc So111h Sens" whk h hccan to lake sh:1pe in 1hc l'nl'ly· IIJ50'\. Fur im,11111cc it 111uJ... nine \li,il.; It) " c111p, k 10 tlhl:iin the View uf lnvcr111ai11 whkh i..; one ,,r lhl.' nrnn} hi!!hli!!lll"i in :1 colh:l't hrn JO \H11·~, ,1rong. The l'Olll'cli11n 111:1 ~c"i 1111 a mu,1 important ~q.!mc.:111 of Ilic l 'unr:ul l\l :ir1en, ccn ll'liary r,hihilitHl 11hi.: :1r1i... 1 dil'd in IX7X I 111 rhc S.H. h vi11 t.l11- ,c11111 nncl Art (inllrrv. lhc :1- 1it11111I T 111,1 \ new ·!!ullc1y 111 Oh,cni:tlOI ) 1 lill. S,-,lncy, 0 111,id1.· a Jll1htic ,-:11!1 ~1 \I onlv the \l 11r;111 h111 t::;1 11nh:11n, anti On,hm,, u>tlfd h:I\ · a l' ll!J.!l!I r11llu :1111n, and lhl.'11 In d1.,c~111. ,tllhi11tph " dt,.:trn 111 W t' , 1 1: , n ,\ 11.,.1n1li1 h., 111111111unf 10 :a•wmhk :1ho111 ~,, \\~11~, lw 1he :11 1i .. 1• t l lw l.1111.•1 11.•ll11c, ,11 h,1;1111111!1 y lo th1.· Vo 111,!C ol 1111.· lh .11• k ,d11d1 111.111l• it, ''-1\ :11111111d 1h1.· IHU IIH,\.'\I .it \ Vl''ll'I 11 •\ 11,11.11i,,1. ~II \ l1.'\\ 111 I oh1.1i111.•d 111,,.,1 11f hi, \\oi I,., 111 tt1 i1.ii11, h,1, mg t'"IIHhJl.,hl!d 1 •uod h11\ i11g ll)nl/ll'I lh1.•1l' ,~ hom h1.: 111hk1 ,.,11mlnhl 1 ,1.11111,;- to A, a fu1 mcr ;rn1ic1uari:10 bu..,~,clkr. uf course, he ,i.,oulJ trnvr h:,tl mnny op– purtunitic,;; to estuhlbh con– l11ds wi1h fi nn, like MagGS :ind i-:runds Edwards, who once had thl' London business in A11,1rali1111 1upogruphy very much 10 thcmsL"lvcs, One l11c~y hr,•ak was lhc p11rch11SL' or "h: of 1hc works hy ConrnJ Mar1c11s lhal haJ rcm;iincJ in the family of AJc,.:uukr Berry. 1he pioneer mcrdrnnt and ;1S!'IOci;11c of ~l11rlc11s. t-lowcver, Cnnrn,I M:1rlcni' \\ ork trns never bl.'en cheup in 1he 111011c)' of lhc ,lay and Mr Stcwarl rues 1hc opporlunities he lei ,lip, inclruling lhe Con• rad M;irtcns he himself wns obliged 10 sell in 1hc course of his husincss. 10 c11llcc1ors such as Dr Holl. who is ulso sup• purling lhc exhihi1ion. Conrad M urlcns does not THE Qul!l!nsland Art O • 11 • r y director rMr. RROUI Molll•h> wlll open • eollectlon or "'orks rrom the Howard Hinton Colloctlon Rt I.he Kelvin Grove CollelN! or Ad· ,. e n c e d Education, on Wedne,day, May 31, at 7.30 p,m. The exhibition. a col• leeUon or Au•trellan palnlln~• Crom the Arml– dale College of Advanced Education, wlll be open from June I to July 27, Monday to Friday from D a.m. to 4.30 p.m. come any chcnper 1h1.:5e day5, nml Mr :m<I Mrs S1ew11r1 urc s:riJ 10 ha ve refuseJ $400,000 for lhc 1.·ollcc1ion. The c,luhi1ion. which in, clu<les many works from th Dixsuu Gallery'• big holding, represents a major coup for Ille S. H. Ervin i;allcry and ils llircctor lytic Jc,sop. The venue is most 01ppropriutc, ovcrlookini; Sydney Harbour, of which ~h1ncns seems to huvc I ccn ~o fond. This mosl slrulegically placed exh ibi1ion 11111st also owt ~omcth inJ! to Sydney url dealer John Bra<kenre~ who WHS .i d111m of the Jule Mr Ervin and hus ulso shown 1he S1ewar1 collec1ion before, al his own Artarmon G:..1llcry. II is 1hro11gh Mr Druck– cnreg 1h:11 1hc gallery cxpecls to mounl ano1her rnnjor cxhi– hilion. The M:1r1,ns exhibilion is cxpec1c<I lo be followed by 11 Lamben exhibi1ion. Mr llrackenrcg ha• close lies wi1h 1he Lambert frrmily, and rccen1ly re-published Amy Lumben 's Thiny Years of nn Artist'~ Life. a mos1 valued puhli~1ing endeavour consid• ering the insighL lhe book gives inlo 1he li(e or an im· portan1 Austr'alian urtis1. um.I 1hc foci 1ha1 mosi of the copies of 1hc original p1iblic, atiun were lost nt sea. W~·--