The schoolyard
(1960-1961)
Medium
casein and oil on composition board
Measurements
58.7 × 89.5 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Professor Charles Green in memory of his father Douglas Green through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2012
© Courtesy of the artist’s estate
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Between 1957 and 1965, National Gallery School alumnus Douglas Green worked part-time as a high school art teacher at Bonbeach High near Frankston. The schoolyard is based on sketches he made during this time and depicts a queue of schoolboys drinking bottles of milk likely provided by the state government’s free milk program of the 1950s. A study of childhood and school life, the painting also reveals Green’s interest in geometry and composition. Angular, fragmented forms in muted tones are used to articulate the scene; the surfaces of the schoolyard, buildings and uniformed figures vibrating against each other.
Artwork Details
Accession Number
2012.189
Department
Australian Painting
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Vizard Foundation