Lot 3. JOHN BRACK (1920-1999)

"Two Running Girls" Study 1959

Conte Drawing
51x48cm
Signed Lower Right, Dated 59
Prov: Tom Gleghorn Collection.
Private Collection Adelaide
Period Acme Framing Co label verso.

Copyright courtesy of © Helen Brack

Frame size: 69x62cm

Condition: This work is in clean and lovely condition. First of all the work is not laid down. Due to the cold weather, if you look at the photos included you can see the waviness in the paper as the recent moisture in the air has made this more evident. Luckily we do not have the humidity like other states. There are no signs of discolouration or staining, paper appears white and clean and in its original condition. There are no tears to the paper, no tears to edges near mount, no folds or crease lines evident. There is no mount burn. The only fault that I can find with the work is three small sections of yellow spots, possibly early foxing. Found in the bottom left of the girls dress on left, and a small spot on the right hand dress. THIS is the only faults that I can see with this work. Possible early foxing, or from its early acid board still attached. Conservation - The work appears to be in its original frame. The nails are still stuck inside behind within its board, with a large section of its backing paper still in tack. In my opinion, the work has NOT been out of this early original frame, so has not received any conservation work at all. Work inspected under blue UV light. Nothing found other than the spotting/foxing mentioned above. We will NOT be removing it from its fame for any photos or inspection. Further images available one request.

$20,000-30,000

Related Works:
From the Book : John Brack by Kirsty Grant
“Human Nature”
1: The Artists Children 1959 (Page 112)
2: The Chase 1959 (Page 113)

Preparatory drawings occupy an important place within John Brack’s oeuvre, revealing the disciplined process through which many of his most celebrated paintings were conceived. Rather than functioning as spontaneous sketches, Brack employed drawing as the principal means by which composition, movement and the relationship between figures were resolved before the image progressed to paint. Executed with remarkable economy of line, these drawings provide a direct insight into the working methods of one of Australia’s foremost twentieth-century artists.

Executed in 1959, the present drawing is a preparatory study for Two Running Girls, one of the defining paintings of Brack’s late 1950s period. Closely corresponding to the finished composition, the drawing demonstrates the artist’s methodical approach to picture making, reducing the image to its essential structure and allowing the rhythm, balance and movement of the two figures to emerge with striking clarity. The precision evident in the finished painting is already fully realised in the assured graphite line.

The year 1959 marked an important period in Brack’s career. Paintings including The Playground, The Chase and Two Running Girls explored recurring themes of childhood, conformity and the subtle rituals of everyday life. These works culminated in Brack’s participation in the landmark Antipodeans Exhibition of 1959, an exhibition that has assumed a defining place in the history of Australian figurative art. Two Running Girls remains one of the most recognised works from this pivotal period.

More than a preparatory exercise, the present drawing stands as a resolved work on paper while offering valuable insight into Brack’s creative process. Directly connected to one of the artist’s most celebrated compositions, it illustrates the importance of drawing within his practice and provides collectors with an opportunity to acquire a work intimately associated with one of the defining paintings of post-war Australian art.