Heidelberg School

The Heidelberg School was the name given to a group of Australian Landscape Painters who had decided to paint in the style of the "French Impressionists". They used the principles of the French Impressionists and adapted it to Australian conditions. They were a group of Australian based artists who loved the work of the French Impressionist painters and decided to meet on a regular basis and go out into the Australian bush and paint in the style of the French greats. In the late 1800s Heidelberg was not a busy suburb of Melbourne. It was the bush. These artists would go and set up camp out in the bush near Heidelberg and paint in the "en plein-air" style of the French Impressionists. The Heidelberg Artists were not painting spontaneous images like the french Impressionists but set up narratives (such as a bush burial and a stage coach robbery).

The Heidelberg School was the first significant art movement in Australia. The name originated in July 1891, when art critic Sidney Dickinson wrote a review of the exhibitions of works by two Australian Artists: Walter Withers and Arthur Streeton. Dickinson noted that these artists whose works were mostly painted in the Heidelberg area could be considered as 'The Heidelberg School'. Since that time The Heidelberg School has taken on a wider meaning and covers Australian artists of the late nineteenth Century who followed plein-air painting at one of the many artist camp sites. In the late 1880's and 1890's, Heidelberg and Eaglemont were sites of great significance. The character of the Australian country side was captured by these Artists and their work has gone down in history as one of the most significant periods of Australian Art.

Tom Roberts - "The Breakaway"

The Heidelberg school artists were the first Australian painters to really capture the character of Australia. The harsh light and unique countryside was completely different to that of Europe. This caused great problems to the early Australian painters who were taught by the European Art schools. They had been taught to use a certain range of colours to paint landscapes. None of which worked well in Australia's conditions. The trees were different shapes and a different range of greens. The sky was paler. The countryside was generally dryer.

The Heidelberg school painters took their paints and palettes outside and matched their colours exactly. This is the plein-air style of the French Impressionists. They were the first group of Australian painters to capture the character of the Australian country side.

Some of the main painters from this time are: (follow the links to find the information on the individual artists).

Heidelberg School

Tom Roberts - "The Breakaway"

Tom Roberts

Arthur Streeton

Charles Condor

Frederick McCubbin

Link to NGV links to other Heidelberg Artists:

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Link to NGV