The Arts
The Heidelberg School of Painters
The Heidelberg School, also known as The Heidelberg Art
School, is an Australian art movement originating in the late 19th
century - the movement has also been described as Australian
Impressionism.

Originating in July 1891, when art critic, Sidney Dickinson
wrote a review of the exhibitions of works by 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 painted plein-air in the impressionist
tradition. These artists were inspired by the beautiful landscapes
of the Yarra and the unique light that typifies the Australian
bush.
The works of these artists are notable, not only for their
merits as compositions, but as part of Australia's historical
record. The period immediately before Federation is the setting for
many classic Australian historical stories of the "bush", both fact
and fiction. The School's work provides a visual complement to
these tales and their images have embedded themselves into
Australia's historical subconscious. Many of the actual artworks
can be seen in Australian galleries, notably the National Gallery
of Victoria, the National Gallery of Australia and the Ballarat
Fine Art Gallery. Many of the locations the paintings depict and
originated from are now threatened by the proposed North East Link
freeway.
The name "Heidelberg School" refers to the then rural area of
Heidelberg, east of Melbourne where practitioners of the style
found their subject matter, though usage expanded to cover other
Australian artists working in similar areas. The core group painted
there on several occasions at "artist's camps" in the late 1880s
and early 1890s. Besides Arthur Streeton and Walter Withers, other
major artists in the movement included Tom Roberts, Frederick
McCubbin and Charles Conder.
The School's artists were clearly influenced by the
international Impressionist movement, and took up many of the
concepts of the group. They regularly painted plein air landscapes,
as well as using art to depict daily life. They showed a keen
interest in the instantaneous effects of lighting, and experimented
with a variety of brushstroke techniques; McCubbin in particular
used the small, contrasting blocks of strong colour that were a
trademark of some Impressionist work. However, these artists should
not be viewed as merely copying an international trend. Works of
the Heidelberg school are generally viewed as some of the first
Western art to realistically and sensitively depict the Australian
landscape as it actually exists. Many earlier works look like
European scenes and do not reflect the harsh sunlight, earthier
colours, and distinctive vegetation of the land they painted.
Visit the Heidelberg artists trail to retrace the steps of the
Heidelberg painters
Source: Wikipedia
The Angry Penguins
The Angry Penguin painters are considered to be the major
figures of a modernist movement in Australian art, based in
Melbourne, which has determined and shaped Australian contemporary
art. The Angry Penguins included Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, Max
Harris, John Perceval, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester. Their aim was
to modernise Australian creative arts and poetry, and challenge
traditions they saw as restrictive in Australia in the 1940s.

Contemporary movements in Europe, such as surrealism and French
symbolism influenced the Angry Penguins. These movements were seen
as vital by the Angry Penguin painters to modernise the
contemporary Australian art scene and also to inspire Australian
artists in finding different and more relevant modes of
expression.
Consequently, the Angry Penguins adopted a spontaneous and
visionary approach to their creative process. Nolan, for example,
was a fast and prolific painter, working without preliminary
sketches, often painting from memory. The symbolic surrealism in
the works by Nolan, Boyd, Hester and Tucker added a new and
exciting dimension to a somewhat stagnant Australian art scene.
They shared a meeting place with other artists and writers at the
home of the wealthy art patrons, John and Sunday Reed, Heide, just
outside Melbourne, now Heide Museum of Modern Art.
Source: Culture Portal - Australian Government
Heide Museum of Modern Art and its serene parklands are also
threatened by the proposed North East link freeway.