Burnt landscape
(1969)
Medium
charcoal and wax crayon on sprayed paint ground
Measurements
58.0 × 78.2 cm (sheet)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Presented through The Art Foundation of Victoria by Lyn Williams, Founder Benefactor, 1988
© Estate of Fred Williams
Gallery location
Gallery 12
Level 2, NGV Australia
About this work
On 19 February 1968 a bushfire spread through several towns in the Dandenong Ranges, including the Williams family home in Upwey. Fred Williams, his wife, Lyn, and their three children were at home when the fire approached. The artist remained in the house, preparing to fight the fire and salvage works stored in his studio, while the rest of the family evacuated to a nearby town. The house was spared, and in the subsequent days, weeks and months, Williams explored the charred landscape around Upwey, sometimes collecting charcoaled twigs that he used to draw with.
Artwork Details
Inscription
inscribed in pen and ink (in image) l.r.: Fred Williams.
Accession Number
P86-1988
Department
Australian Prints & Drawings
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of the Joe White Bequest