Lot 1

Work in good condition overall, given age. Light foxing and signs of paper discolouration evident in areas. Work is well framed (overall size: 53 x 63) however would benifit a reseal from the back to avoid any further foxing or deterioration.


The opinions expressed in the condition reports are a guide only and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Prospective buyers are encouraged to physically inspect item, or book a virtual viewing or request further images during our pre-sale period where Leonard Joel staff are available for advice.
Please note condition reports can be amended during the pre-sale period, so we strongly suggest any interested bidders check the published condition report available on the website before the auction commences. Leonard Joel makes no guarantee of the originality of mechanical or applied components. Absence of reference to such modifications does not imply that a lot is free from modifications.

The Collection of Mr and Mrs Charles Ruwolt, New South Wales
Leonard Joel, The Charles Ruwolt Collection of Australian Paintings, Melbourne, 17 November 1966, lot 41
The Collection of Claude Ruwolt
The Collection of Louise Ruwolt, Victoria

"There died in Melbourne yesterday a big Australian - big in physique, in outlook, and reputation. He was Mr Charles Ruwolt." (1) So ran the Melbourne Herald obituary for Charles Ruwolt (1873-1946), a German-born immigrant who in the space of one generation built one of the nation's main producers of industrial and farm machinery. Described as a 'tall and earnest man', Ruwolt embraced a strong work ethic and innovative management style. Charles Ruwolt Pty Ltd was publicly listed in 1920 and by "1938 it was one of the largest engineering companies in Australia, occupying 20 acres (8 ha) and employing 600-700 workers." (2)

Charles Ruwolt and his wife of 48 years, Emily, née Loch, developed a range of outside interests that included owning racehorses, reading, and the development of a large New South Wales pastoral holding. At Yarramundi, and from their city home in Malvern Road, Toorak, the Ruwolts indulged in one other significant pastime - building an extensive collection of Australian art. This was a passion that, over time, would also become an astute investment. Aside from owning a number of Streetons, the Ruwolt's tended to select paintings that mirrored their own life and work and understanding of Australia's national prosperity and character tied to manufacturing and industrial progress as well as "riding on the sheep's back." (3)

The catalyst to form a quality art collection quite likely came from well-known Australian anthropologist, museum director and art collector, Sir Walter Baldwin Spencer. Charles Ruwolt attended the famous Spencer art collection auction held at Melbourne's high-end-of-town Fine Art Society Gallery in 1919. This momentous event featured many of the artists who were to become integral to Ruwolt's collection. The purchase of Arthur Streeton's Coogee 1890 from the auction, a foundational example of Australian Impressionism, led to the acquisition in the 1920s and 30s of many more artworks by Streeton, as well as other fine works by Fred McCubbin, Hans Heysen, Elioth Gruner, and their contemporaries. (4)

The posthumous Charles Ruwolt Collection exhibition and auction held in 1966 was also promoted as a landmark occasion. Catalogue notes describe the artworks as the "most important to have been offered for many years" with the unique offering of 14 Streeton paintings presented as "… the most impressive that has been offered since the Baldwin Spencer Collection in 1919." (5) The auction was subsequently heralded by Leonard Joel as one of the "moments in time that defined us." (6)

In the current offerings, scenes of Australian pastoral life (W. B. McInnes), famous European and English bridges and buildings (Will Ashton's Paris and Sydney Long's Houses of Parliament), and beach excursions (Robert Johnson and B. E. Minns) stand out. The American, Audley Dean Nichols (1875-1941) became famous for his hazy images of the wild west tamed. His Arizona 1927 is representative of the 'Purple Mountain School', an American equivalent to the Australian pastoral idyll.

Hans Heysen (1877-1968) was a personal favourite of Charles Ruwolt. Heysen's signature images of majestic river gums, sheep, cattle and drovers bathed in an intense light are a highlight of 20th century depictions of the Australian bush and landscape. Ruwolt and Heysen were both child immigrants of German heritage who settled in South Australia in 1877 and 1883 respectively. Ruwolt acquired one of Heysen's masterpieces from the Society Gallery, Melbourne, in 1926. Entitled The South Coast 1926, this large and panoramic view of Victor Harbor was priced at a handsome 250 guineas, the most expensive artwork in the show. (7)

Charles and Emily Ruwolt were equally attracted to Heysen's watercolours, a medium Heysen made uniquely his own. Drover and Cattle 1917 and The River 1920 show the full range of Heysen's expressive power and his affiliation with the Australian pastoral tradition in art. In the former, a rural worker ambles down a bush track instinctively and protectively guiding a small mob of cattle - the grand old red gum is a signpost, providing a note of timelessness, while subtle natural light envelops the scene in life-affirming pink and golden hues.

The River, in contrast, focuses on a small nook, a bend in the river surrounded by the majesty of the riverside gums. Probably referred to as Sheep at Billabong in the 1966 catalogue (but included in a loan exhibition as The River), it is equal in quality to a slightly larger watercolour entitled The River, Autumn Morning 1920 that sold for $46,000 AUD in 2018. (8) The mauve modality of The River contrasts with the latter's bluish and more heavily laden atmosphere. It is an essay in the tranquillity and productivity of nature and our place in it.

Of the works currently on offer, nearly all, including the two Heysens, maintain a strong tie with the 1966 Leonard Joel auction, having either passed down through direct descent or been bought by family members. They represent a rare opportunity to partake in the fruits of one Australian family's passions and endeavour.

Rodney James

(1) Man dies who made big name in industry, The Herald, 5 November 1946, p. 8.
(2) G. Hayes, Charles Ernest Ruwolt, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne University Press, vol. 11, 1988, or online:https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ruwolt-charles-ernest-8309
(3) In this respect, an intriguing 1937 Lionel Lindsay bookplate etching, Charles Ruwolt is situated against noted engineering feats and the latest in technology, a giant eucalypt and fertile pasture replete with horses, cows and sheep. In Lindsay's (and presumably Ruwolt's) eyes each element - the Australian pastoral tradition and a new tide of manufacturing - could and did harmoniously co-exist, a central, if contradictory, tenet of the day.
(4) By the time of their posthumous auction sale, the Ruwolt's had acquired no less than 14 oil paintings by Streeton and seven by W. B. McInnes, four watercolours by Blamire Young, nine etchings by the Lindsays and five major Heysen watercolours.
(5) The Charles Ruwolt Collection of Australian Paintings, Leonard Joel Pty Ltd, 17 McKillop Street Melbourne, November 1966.
(6) Art and Antiques, April-August 2012, p. 38. https://issuu.com/worldantiquesart/docs/aaa-vic-apr-2012
(7) Exhibition of paintings by Hans Heysen, Society Gallery, Melbourne, 1926, cat. No. 1.
(8) The River, Autumn Morning, 1920, watercolour, signed lower left, dated 1920, 52 x 65 cm, Elder Fine Art, Australian & International Paintings, Adelaide, 18/11/2018, Lot No. 18.