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• Auction House:
  McKenzies Auctioneers
• Sale Name:
  July Auction
• Sale Date:
  03 Jul 2012 ~ 6.30pm (Lots 1 - 249)
  04 Jul 2012 ~ 6.30pm (Lots 250 - 551)
• Lot #:
  115
• Lot Description:
  Florence Ada Fuller
  1867 - 1946
  Original title, most likely; “A Golden Hour”, c.1905
  Oil on canvas
  108.5 x 133.5cm
  Signed lower right
• Provenance:
  Apparently a retirement gift to Professor W.D.L. Ride AM, upon his retirement as director of the Western Australian Museum, from the Trustees; Then by descent within his family; Previously, very likely within the family of Sir John Winthrop Hackett.
• References:
  Related Work: Portrait of Deborah Vernon Hackett, c.1905. Sold 2005 by McKenzies Auctioneers and in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• Notes:
  Florence Ada Fuller, born South Africa, arrived in Melbourne as a child. After studying at Julien’s in Paris 1894 – 1901, she settled in Perth in 1904. She seemed to be successful both as an artist and teacher in Perth, two of her best known pupils being Daisy Rossi and Kathleen O’Connor. She also had success overseas. Her work being exhibited at London’s Royal Academy, the Manchester City Gallery, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, London and the Paris Salon. The Western Australian newspaper often reported on art events of the time. Fuller’s exhibition history and comings and goings received good coverage. A review looking back over the previous 30 years, appeared on October 23, 1937. In part, it states; “------- Sir John Winthrop Hackett was a patron of Miss Fuller and was a constant visitor to her dignified studio, above his office in the old West Australian Chambers.” The article goes on to say Hackett commissioned many paintings from her for his gallery. The current owners assert that Professor Ride always understood the figures in the picture were Sir John Winthrop Hackett, (then owner of The West Australian newspaper, well known business man and philanthropist, whose gift allowed the construction of the impressive University of Western Australia buildings and St. George’s Residential College) and his new wife, Deborah Vernon Hackett, (1887 – 1965), nee Drake-Brockman. An article on page 3, Tuesday 31 October 1905, within The West Australian newspaper, gives a review of Fuller’s studio exhibition. On show were forty-one of her artworks. After mentioning various works, it goes on to state; “----- the piece de resistance of the exhibition is undoubtedly that catalogued as, A Golden Hour.” The article goes on to say the picture “is dedicated to the golden glories of the late afternoon,” and is of large scale. The review comments on the light, the balance, the figures, the native vegetation and, the “blackboys”, as well as the white gum trees. It concludes by saying of the picture that it succeeds, “in catching the wonderful glow of what is known to artists as the most transitory period of the day.”
• Estimate:
  A$25,000 - 35,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.