Lot 68

Acquired from the artist
Private collection, New South Wales
Thence by descent
Private collection, Sydney

Laith Wark was a studio assistant to Arthur Boyd in the late 1980s at both Bundanon and Sussex, UK.

Arthur Boyd's love and affinity for the Shoalhaven is renowned and evident through countless works of art. The artist's relationship with the river and surrounding landscape were deeply personal; it was his home and the source of an incredible amount of inspiration for many, many years. This impressive painting is truly a tribute to the setting, it was given by Arthur to one of his close Bundanon neighbours and friends and, as the story goes, reflects their view when they shared afternoon tea. An ordinary, everyday scene of which Boyd masterfully captures the extraordinary. The scale and composition give you a taste of the expansive earth and open sky and while the scenery is calm, the colours are bright and beautiful and the more time you spend with it, the more you can feel the quiet but constant energy and life coming from the canvas. In the valued tradition of Australian landscape painting, Boyd is certainly a master contributor and this work a wonderful addition.