Elioth Gruner Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Elioth Gruner Art Value Price Guide

Aug. 25, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Drought 1919 oil on board inscribed ‘“DROUght”’ lower left; signed and dated ‘E. GRUNER / 1919’ lower right 31
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Drought 1919 oil on board inscribed ‘"DROUght"' lower left; signed and dated ‘E. GRUNER / 1919' lower right 31 x 22 cm frame: original, maker unknown, Sydney PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Private Collection Private Collection, Brisbane, by descent from the above Albion Antique Auction Centre, Brisbane Private Collection, Brisbane, acquired from the above on 16 May 2024
Smith & Singer
Aug. 25, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Afternoon Shadows 1931 oil on canvas on board signed and dated ‘GRUNER / 1931’ lower right 30 x 40.5 cm frame:
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Afternoon Shadows 1931 oil on canvas on board signed and dated ‘GRUNER / 1931' lower right 30 x 40.5 cm frame: original, S.A. Parker, Sydney PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney (ledger no. 412) Macquarie Galleries, Sydney W.R. Andrews, Sydney Australian and Overseas Paintings, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 14 June 1974, lot 703, illustrated R.T. Balderstone, Melbourne Australian Paintings, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 24 May 1978, lot 10, illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above EXHIBITED Society of Artists' Annual Exhibition, Education Department's Art Gallery, Sydney, 5 September – 2 October 1931, no. 241, 75 gns Loan Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1932 – 21 February 1933, no. 39
Smith & Singer
Jun. 30, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) The New Crop 1932 oil on canvas on board 36.5 x 44.5cm
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) The New Crop 1932 oil on canvas on board signed and dated lower right: Gruner 1932 signed and titled verso 36.5 x 44.5cm PROVENANCE: The Collection of Mr and Mrs Saul Symonds, Sydney Thence by descent, Mrs Naomi Hoenig, London Private collection, Sydney Sotheby's, Melbourne, 20 April 2010, lot 39 Private collection, Perth EXHIBITIONS: Society of Artists' Annual Exhibition, Education Department's Art Gallery, Sydney, 2 - 30 September 1932, cat. no. 109 Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1933 – 21 February 1934, cat. no. 19 The Centenary Art Exhibition, Commonwealth Bank Chambers, Melbourne, 1934, cat. no. 178 Commonwealth of Australia, Paris International Exposition, 1937 (as 'The New Crop') (label and stamp verso) Elioth Gruner 1883-1939, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney 13 July - 4 September 1983, cat. no. 63 (as ‘The Young Crop') (label verso) LITERATURE: Smith, U., Elioth Gruner's Oil Paintings. Art in Australia, Sydney, 3rd Series, no. 50, June 1933, p. 23 (illus.) Pearce, B., Elioth Gruner 1883-1939, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 13 July - 4 September 1983, p. 27 (illus.) OTHER NOTES: -Viewing in Sydney-
Leonard Joel
Jun. 30, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Nambucca Beach 1933 oil on canvas on board in original Frederick Holdsworth frame (label verso) 36.5 x 43cm
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Nambucca Beach 1933 oil on canvas on board in original Frederick Holdsworth frame (label verso) signed and dated lower right: Gruner 1933 inscribed verso: a nambucca beach / owner Saul Symonds / less 100 sale 36.5 x 43cm PROVENANCE: The Collection of Mr and Mrs Saul Symonds, Sydney Thence by descent, Jean Campbell, Canberra 1940–78 Private collection, Sydney Private collection, Perth EXHIBITIONS: (probably loaned) Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1933 – 21 February 1934, cat. no. 22 OTHER NOTES: -Viewing in Sydney- Among the most celebrated Australian landscape painters of the early twentieth century, Elioth Gruner developed a visual language distinguished by its atmospheric subtlety, compositional harmony, and his skilful ability to capture the effects of light. Gruner's work is often associated with the influence of Australian Impressionism and the Heidelberg School, however, his later works reveal a more complex engagement with modernist ideas about structure, colour, and spatial design. In particular, his paintings in the 1930s demonstrate a refined synthesis of natural observation and visual organisation, positioning him as a key artist of the Australian landscape during the interwar period. Born in New Zealand in 1882 and raised in Sydney from an early age, Gruner studied under Julian Ashton at the Sydney Art School. (1) From the beginning of his career, Gruner displayed a remarkable ability to capture changing atmospheric conditions, especially the effects of sunlight in rural and coastal environments. Art critics frequently praised the luminosity of his paintings, in fact, artist and writer Norman Lindsay famously remarked that Gruner painted "the purest light" in Australian art. (2) Gruner went on to win the prestigious Wynne Prize seven times, the first being in 1916 for Morning Light 1916 which is in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. (3) The seven paintings which won the Wynne Prize are now shared between the Art Gallery of New South Wales which has five and the remaining two are in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Although Gruner's earlier paintings align closely with the 'en plein air' naturalism of the Heidelberg school, his artistic direction evolved following his travels to Europe between 1923 and 1925. During this period, he encountered the work of Post-Impressionist artists Paul Cézanne and Paul Gauguin, whose emphasis on structural composition and simplified form influenced his later approach to landscape painting. (4) It was by the 1930s that Gruner's artworks reveal a heightened awareness of compositional balance. Rolling hills, farm paddocks, shorelines, and tree groves are thoughtfully arranged, and his colour palette becomes increasingly restrained and tonal. This mature style is especially evident in one of Gruner's coastal paintings, 'Nambucca Beach' 1933. The work presents a secluded bay, viewed from an elevated perspective, where the curve of sand guides the viewer's eye toward the calm expanse of the ocean. The composition is notable for its remarkable equilibrium. The sea and sky occupy nearly half the canvas, creating an atmosphere of openness and tranquillity, while the surrounding cliff establishes a stabilising counterweight to the ocean. The painting demonstrates Gruner's exceptional ability to evoke atmosphere through tonal variation rather than dramatic contrast. Soft blues and aquamarines dissolve into white sea foam along the shoreline, while the sandy beach is rendered in warm creams and earthy colours that harmonise with the sunlit cliff. Unlike many of the period's depictions of the Australian coast that emphasised ruggedness and drama, Gruner instead presents the landscape as serene, contemplative, and deeply ordered. A similarly reflective mood characterises his work titled 'The New Crop' 1932, though the setting shifts from coastline to farmland. In this painting, Gruner depicts rolling agricultural paddocks, bordered by dense treelined hills and a pale blue luminous sky. The composition is structured through horizontal bands of cultivated earth, pasture, and tree groves, producing spatial depth and visual stability and elevating the rural landscape into a lyrical arrangement of colour and form. The ploughed foreground field becomes an expansive sweep of muted browns and greens animated by visible brushwork that evokes the texture of freshly turned soil. Fence posts rhythmically mark the lower edge of the composition, guiding the viewer's eye toward the darker, dense tree grove. The contrast between open farmland and dense bushland creates a subtle dialogue between cultivation and untamed nature which is often a recurring theme within Australian landscape painting of this era. Elioth Gruner's landscapes of the 1930s exemplify the defining characteristics of his late style, including an emphasis on compositional clarity, tonal restraint, and an unparalleled understanding of Australian light. His landscapes evoke a quieter form of national identity that is grounded in contemplation, balance, and intimate familiarity. Through his Impressionist atmosphere and modernist structure, Gruner produced some of the most enduring and poignant visions of the Australian landscape in twentieth-century art. Amanda Hayward (née North) Senior Fine Art Specialist (1) Clark, D., Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra, 2014, pp. 1-2. (2) National Portrait Gallery, Norman Lindsay: In their own words, accessed on 24th April 2026: www.portrait.gov.au/words/norman-lindsay (3) Art Gallery of NSW, Elioth Gruner, accessed on 24th April 2026: www.artgallery.nsw.gov. au/collection/artists/gruner-elioth/ (4) Clark, D., Elioth Gruner: The Texture of Light, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra, 2014, p. 8.
Leonard Joel
Jun. 30, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) (Sheep in Landscape) 1919 oil on canvas 39 x 44.5cm
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) (Sheep in Landscape) 1919 oil on canvas signed lower right: E. GRUNER/ 1919 39 x 44.5cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Perth
Leonard Joel
May. 19, 2026
Elioth Gruner, A Devon lane, 1924
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
Elioth Gruner (1882 - 1939) A Devon lane, 1924 oil on board 34.5 x 25.5 cm 43.0 x 34.0 cm (frame) signed and dated lower right: E. GRUNER 1924 PROVENANCE The artist (ledger no. 271, as 'Devon lane') Gayfield Shaw, Sydney with Australian Fine Arts Gallery, Sydney in March 1925 Macquarie Galleries, Sydney Private collection Christie’s, Melbourne, 21 August 1996, lot 337 (as 'A Country Lane') Private collection, Melbourne In a letter from Rubery Bennett of the Australian Fine Arts Gallery, Sydney to Gayfield Shaw on 3 March 1925, Bennett notes that this work was among the Gruners he had received from Shaw ‘this day’. Gruner lists the work in his ledger and notes that it was later sold through the Macquarie Galleries, Sydney. We are grateful to Steven Miller for his assistance with this catalogue entry. This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
May. 17, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939), Little Flower Piece 1936
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Little Flower Piece 1936 oil on canvas on board signed and dated lower right: GRUNER / 1936 45 x 36cm (image size) 65 x 56 x 7cm (frame size) PROVENANCE Miss E Read, NSW (label verso) Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, April 17 - 31 May 1940, cat. no. 248 (label verso) LITERATURE Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition [Catalogue], National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1940, cat. no. 248, p. 39
Gibson's
May. 05, 2026
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Cremorne Wharf, Mosman Bay, 1913
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Cremorne Wharf, Mosman Bay, 1913 signed and dated: 'E. GRUNER / 1913' oil on canvas on board 34.0 x 49.0cm (13 3/8 x 19 5/16in).
Bonhams
Apr. 28, 2026
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Hills of Northam (1936) oil on canvasboard 32 x 46.5 cm
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Hills of Northam (1936) oil on canvasboard signed 'GRUNER' lower right 32 x 46.5 cm PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Mr and Mrs A.S. Mummery, Perth Private Collection, Perth Private Collection, Perth, acquired from the above LITERATURE Arthur Spartalis, A Survey of Western Australian Art from 1696, Arthur Spartarlis Fine Art, Perth, p. 72 (illustrated)
Smith & Singer
Apr. 14, 2026
Elioth Gruner, Australian 1882-1939, Out west, etching, plate size 19 x 14cm frame size 45 x 39cm
Est: $400 - $600
Elioth Gruner Australian, 1882-1939 Out west etching no. 9 signed in the margin, Artarmon Gallery label verso
Lawsons
Dec. 02, 2025
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Landscape, Muswellbrook, 1920
Est: $28,000 - $35,000
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Landscape, Muswellbrook, 1920 signed and dated lower right: 'E. GRUNER / 1920' oil on canvas on board 32.0 x 42.5cm (12 5/8 x 16 3/4in).
Bonhams
Nov. 26, 2025
Elioth Gruner, Landscape, Bacchus Marsh, 1930
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
Elioth Gruner (1882 - 1939) Landscape, Bacchus Marsh, 1930 oil on cedar panel 30.0 x 40.0 cm signed and dated lower right: GRUNER / 1930 bears inscription verso: LANDSCAPE / BACCHUS MARSH (W. BUCKLE) PROVENANCE The artist, Sydney ( probably ledger no. 370, as ‘Road with poplar’) W. G. Buckle, by 1933 Arthur Hancock, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED Exhibition of Pictures from Southern States, Queensland National Art Gallery, Brisbane, 22 July – 16 August 1930, cat. 8a (as ‘A road near Bacchus Marsh’) Loan Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1932 – 21 February 1933, cat. 43 Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 April – 31 May 1940, cat. 39, lent by Mr W.G. Buckle (label attached verso) LITERATURE Art in Australia, Sydney Ure Smith, Sydney, 3rd Series, no. 50, June 1933, p. 37 (illus., as 'Landscape, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria') RELATED WORK Morning, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, 1930, oil on canvas, 50.5 x 61.0 cm, private collection, sold Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 22 November 2023, lot 27 Werribee Gorge, 1930, oil on canvas on cardboard, 30.0 x 40.7 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne We are grateful to Steven Miller for his assistance with this catalogue entry. ESSAY Landscape, Bacchus Marsh, 1930, dates from a pivotal period in the career of Elioth Gruner when the many personal painting challenges he had undertaken over the previous seven years coalesced into his instantly recognisable mature technique. It was executed in the same year as two other significant works: Morning, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, 1930 (Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 22 November 2023, lot 27), and the widely reproduced Mitchell River, Victoria (aka Gippsland lakes), 1930 (Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 14 September 2022, lot 24). These painting challenges had been triggered by an encounter with the British artist Sir William Orpen in 1923, who criticised Gruner’s technique and design, encouraging him to change to smaller canvases and to utilise a thinner, more pastel-like application of paint. Gruner subsequently travelled to Europe looking closely at post-impressionists such as Paul Gauguin and absorbing their lessons on the flattening of space. Although some colleagues in Australia – most famously Norman Lindsay – were appalled by his subsequent, mildly modernist approach, audiences responded strongly to the new works, and between 1929 and 1937, Gruner added four more Wynne Prize awards for landscape painting to the three he already possessed.1 These included the now-iconic On the Murrumbidgee, 1929 (Art Gallery of New South Wales) shown in the competition in early 1930, a ‘high point of his progression towards creating modern landscape from a plein air practice of direct observation before the subject.’2 Buoyed by his success, Gruner undertook an extended drive through the south coast of New South Wales and on to the Gippsland region of Victoria where he painted Mitchell River, Victoria (aka Gippsland lakes), 1930. Following this, he travelled back to Melbourne and by May, was in regional Bacchus Marsh on Woiwurrung and Wathaurong country. Notably, he was in the company of two significant artist-educators – namely, George Bell, who would open his renowned modernist school two years later, and Daryl Lindsay, member of the famed artistic family and future Director of the National Gallery of Victoria.3 This was a working holiday charged with much intellectual discussion and analysis, and contemporaneous paintings by each bear witness to shifts in emphasis and technique. It is interesting to compare Lindsay’s and Gruner’s paintings in particular. Although both exhibit a marked flattening of space, in works such as Lindsay’s Landscape at Myrniong, c.1930, and Landscape at Bacchus Marsh, c.1930 (both in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria), the brushwork comprises stipples of impasto strokes whilst the skies are filled with highly mannered clouds. By comparison, Gruner’s paintings from Bacchus Marsh demonstrate the continuing strength of his vision. In the lot on offer here, the majestic poplar and companion oak provide a central focus, whilst the forked roads lead the eye back to the foreground, bracketed by the boundary fence to the right and two small cottages at the left. However, it is the sensual pleasure that Gruner expresses with his sky and clouds that truly completes the image. Taking cues from other modernist contemporaries such as Grace Cossington Smith (see Gum Blossom, c.1928 – 32, Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 28 August 2024, lot 49), the blue brushstrokes radiate to the heavens, while the clouds on the horizon impart a true sense of reality. Indeed, Gruner himself was also impressed, writing to the critic Basil Burdett that he had ‘painted a sky at last.’4 1. Gruner was awarded the Wynne Prize in 1916, 1919, 1921, 1929, 1934, 1936, and 1937. 2. Clark, D., Elioth Gruner: Texture of light, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Australian Capital Territory, 2014, p. 12 3. Lindsay and his wife were temporarily renting a cottage at Bacchus Marsh, see: Lindsay, D., The leafy tree: my family, F.W. Cheshire, Melbourne, 1965, p. 153 4. Elioth Gruner, Letter to Basil Burdett, 29 May 1930 in Art Gallery of New South Wales archives, MS1995.9, 1/17/10. ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 26, 2025
Elioth Gruner, Figures by the shore, c.1934
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
Elioth Gruner (1882 - 1939) Figures by the shore, c.1934 oil on canvas on board 30.5 x 41.0 cm signed lower right: GRUNER PROVENANCE Arthur Hancock, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne RELATED WORK Beach idyll, 1934, oil on canvas on board, 46.5 x 44.0 cm, New England Regional Art Museum, New South Wales, gift of Howard Hinton We are grateful to Steven Miller for his assistance with this catalogue entry. ESSAY As a teenager, Elioth Gruner was forced to take on family responsibility early due to the death of his father when he was very young, followed by that of his eldest brother when Gruner was sixteen. Such tragedies led to him working twelve-hour days as a draper’s assistant to support his mother whilst informally attending Julian Ashston’s art classes in the evening. This left little time for him to indulge in recreation – of which swimming and body surfing with close friends was a favoured pastime. The resultant paintings of these rare, hedonist moments are amongst the earliest sustained images depicting Australia’s love affair with the beach. Following World War One, Gruner’s focus turned inland, and it wasn’t until the 1930s that he returned to painting beaches and headlands, by which time he had perfected his mature, softly modernist style. Whilst these latter images were mostly de-populated, Figures by the shore, 1934, adds narrative intrigue with its two bathers looking back to the viewer whilst a third sits contemplating the ocean beyond. Gruner’s early beach paintings coincided with a loosening of society’s rules regarding beach bathing; indeed, it was not until 1903 that bathers were officially allowed in the water during daylight hours. Gruner’s paintings between 1912 and 1918 are therefore additionally fascinating as his bathers are already within their environment, totally at home in the sand or water. In works such as Bondi Beach, c.1912 (Art Gallery of New South Wales), the clustered sunbathers have become ‘vibrant and economical studies in colour and tone (demonstrating) a new interest and facility in the simple arrangements of figures in patterns.1 This fascination with formalised design carries over into Figures by the shore with its classicist structure of the two main characters bracketed by trees; however, by placing these figures off centre, Gruner imparts a pleasing informality to the scene. The freshness of the brush marks also indicates that it was painted en plein air, in front of the motif. Gruner suffered from depression and thus was not prolific, often destroying works he felt were not up to his exacting standards. In 1934, by contrast, he was buoyed by the previous year’s successes which included the magazine Art and Australia devoting an issue to his recent work, an act of public support which they had previously done to great acclaim in 1929. This positive affirmation continued when Gruner was awarded his fifth Wynne Prize in 1934 for Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra (National Gallery of Australia). In light of such events, it is tempting to detect a joyous purity within Figures by the shore, and in its companion work Beach idyll, 1934 (New England Regional Art Gallery). Whilst both are a welcome return to the figure-beach interaction, Gruner’s overall subject remains ‘the fine and subtle emotional quality of light (combined with a) feeling for design and form which (he) so courageously imposed on his work.’2 1. Clark, D., Elioth Gruner: Texture of light, Canberra Museum and Gallery, Australian Capital Territory, 2014, p. 17 2. Burdett, B., ‘The art of Daryl Lindsay’, Art in Australia, series 3, no. 39, August 1931, p. 23 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 18, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER - HEDLEY MARSTON 1928 - OIL ON CANVAS
Est: $7,000 - $10,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) HEDLEY MARSTON 1928 Oil on canvas 63 x 54cm Estimate $7,000/10,000 AUD
GFL Fine Art
Oct. 12, 2025
GRUNER Elioth (1882-1939), Tall Gums by the River, 1925., Oil on Ply, 33.5x25.5cm
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
GRUNER, Elioth (1882-1939) Tall Gums by the River, 1925. Signed and dated lower left. S.A. Parker, Sydney, framing label verso. Oil on Ply 33.5x25.5cm PROVENANCE: Private family collection, Sydney thence Brisbane.
Davidson Auctions
Aug. 19, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Afternoon Shadows 1931 oil on canvas on board 30 x 40.5 cm frame: original, S.A. Parker, Sydney
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Afternoon Shadows 1931 oil on canvas on board signed and dated ‘GRUNER / 1931' lower right 30 x 40.5 cm frame: original, S.A. Parker, Sydney PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney (ledger no. 412) Macquarie Galleries, Sydney W.R. Andrews, Sydney Australian and Overseas Paintings, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 14 June 1974, lot 703, illustrated R.T. Balderstone, Melbourne Australian Paintings, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 24 May 1978, lot 10, illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above EXHIBITED Society of Artists Annual Exhibition, Education Department's Art Gallery, Sydney, 5 September – 2 October 1931, no. 241, 75 gns Loan Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1932 – 21 February 1933, no. 39
Smith & Singer
Aug. 19, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Terrigal (1929) oil on canvas board 30.4 x 40.6 cm frame: original, Frederick Holdsworth, Sydney (label verso)
Est: $50,000 - $70,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Terrigal (1929) oil on canvas board signed 'GRUNER' lower right 30.4 x 40.6 cm frame: original, Frederick Holdsworth, Sydney (label verso) PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Macquarie Galleries, Sydney Mr and Mrs Saul Symonds, Sydney Mrs Naomi Hoenig, London, by descent from the above Private Collection, Sydney Important Australian Art, Smith & Singer (trading as Sotheby's Australia), Melbourne, 20 April 2010, lot 36, illustrated Private Collection, Victoria, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Society of Artists' Annual Exhibition, Education Department's Art Gallery, Sydney, 2-30 September 1932, no. 117 Loan Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1932 – 21 February 1933, no. 50 Brisbane Exhibition, Society of Artists, Parbury House, Brisbane, 19 May – 5 June 1937, no. 34 LITERATURE ‘Elioth Gruner's Oil Paintings', Art in Australia, Ure Smith, Sydney, Third Series, Number 5, June 1933, p. 11 (illustrated), ‘Blue Sea, Terrigal'
Smith & Singer
Aug. 19, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Old Boat Harbour, Bellingen 1938 oil on canvas 63.5 x 76.5 cm frame: original, S.A. Parker, Sydney
Est: $200,000 - $300,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Old Boat Harbour, Bellingen 1938 oil on canvas signed and dated ‘GRUNER / 38' lower right 63.5 x 76.5 cm frame: original, S.A. Parker, Sydney PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Mrs James Burns, New South Wales, by 1938 J.D.O. (David) Burns, New South Wales, by descent from the above Private Collection, by descent from the above EXHIBITED Annual Exhibition, Society of Artists, Education Department's Art Gallery, Sydney, 3-30 September 1938, no. 163
Smith & Singer
Aug. 19, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 On the Beach (1920) oil on canvasboard 23 x 27.5 cm
Est: $80,000 - $120,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 On the Beach (1920) oil on canvasboard signed ‘E GRÜNER' lower right 23 x 27.5 cm PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Private Collection Ian Farquarson, Canberra Savill Galleries, Sydney, acquired from the above on 23 March 1984 Barry Taffs and Marilyn Taffs, Sydney, acquired from the above in 1984 Martin Browne Fine Art, Sydney Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 1989
Smith & Singer
Jul. 08, 2025
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Australia - The Barn
Est: $500 - $800
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Australia The Barn Etching Ed No#2 Signed edition To Miss e J Read with Compliments fr the artist lower margin, signed title date verso
Colville Auctions
May. 25, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939), The Broken Fence, 1913
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) The Broken Fence, 1913 oil on canvas on board signed and dated indistinctly lower right: E Gruner 1913 inscribed verso: NEAR GOSFORD ELIOTH GRUNER 1913 33 x 38cm PROVENANCE W. Robinson, Esq. (circa 1920) Leonard Joel, Melbourne, Australian, New Zealand, British and European Historical & Contemporary Paintings, 2 November 1977, Lot 660 (as 'At Gosford') Private collection, Melbourne Thence by descent LITERATURE Smith, Sydney Ure & Gellert, Leon, The Art of Elioth Gruner, Art and Australian, Sydney, 1920, plate XL. (illus.)
Gibson's
Feb. 20, 2025
ELIOTH GRUNER, (1882 - 1939), Mount Keira, 1911, watercolour and gouache, 21.5 x 21.5 cm. (8.4 x 8.4 in.), frame: 37 x 37 x 3 cm. (14.5 x 14.5 x 1.1 in.)
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882 - 1939) Mount Keira, 1911 watercolour and gouache signed and dated lower right: E Grüner, 1911
Lawsons
Dec. 02, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Landscape with Beach and Cliff c.1907 oil on timber panel 33.5 x 21cm (51.5 x 39.5cm framed)
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Landscape with Beach and Cliff c.1907 oil on timber panel signed lower right: E.Gruner 33.5 x 21cm (51.5 x 39.5cm framed) PROVENANCE: Private collection, New South Wales The Estate of Carol Lynette Crooks, Sydney EXHIBITIONS: Elioth Gruner, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 July - 4 September 1983 (label verso)
Leonard Joel
Nov. 27, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 The Orchard 1934 oil on canvas on board 30.5 x 41 cm
Est: $120,000 - $140,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 The Orchard 1934 oil on canvas on board signed and dated ‘GRUNER / 1934' lower left 30.5 x 41 cm PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Grosvenor Galleries, Sydney William Grant Buckle, Sydney (Probably) Fine Old English and French Furniture, James R. Lawson, Sydney, 6-7 September 1940, lot 396, ‘Spring Blossoms' Private Collection, Melbourne Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne National Mutual Life Association of Australasia Limited, Melbourne Lauraine Diggins Gallery, Melbourne (label verso) Private Collection, Brisbane Australian & Aboriginal Art, Bonhams, Sydney, 19 November 2017, lot 40, illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Spring Exhibition 1975: Recent Acquisitions, Joseph Brown Gallery, Melbourne, 14-30 October 1975, no. 29, ‘Fruit Trees in Blossom', illustrated The Australian Impressionists: Their Origins and Influences, Lauraine Diggins Gallery, Melbourne, 15-20 August 1988; The Westpac Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne, 22-30 August 1988; ‘St Neots', Sydney, 9-16 September 1988, no. 37, ‘Fruit Trees in Blossom', illustrated
Smith & Singer
Nov. 27, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Frost 1932 oil on canvas on board 37 x 45 cm frame: original, John Thallon, Melbourne (label verso)
Est: $150,000 - $180,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Frost 1932 oil on canvas on board signed and dated 'GRUNER / 1932' lower right 37 x 45 cm frame: original, John Thallon, Melbourne (label verso) PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Saul Symonds, Sydney, acquired from the above in 1932 Dr David Roseby, Melbourne, acquired from the above on 18 December 1934 Private Collection, Melbourne, by descent from the above Important Australian + International Fine Art, Deutscher and Hackett, Sydney, 2 May 2012, lot 13, ‘Frosty Morning', illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Loan Exhibition of the Works of Elioth Gruner, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 21 December 1932 – 21 February 1933, no. 47 The Centenary Art Exhibition, Commonwealth Bank Chambers, Melbourne, 8 October 1934, no. 175, ‘Spring Frosts' Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 5 July – 4 August 1940, no. 17, ‘Frosty Morning' LITERATURE Art in Australia, Ure Smith Sydney, Third Series, No. 50, 15 June 1933, p. 21 (illustrated), ‘Frosts'
Smith & Singer
Oct. 22, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Landscape with Beach and Cliff c.1907 oil on timber panel 33.5 x 21cm
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Landscape with Beach and Cliff c.1907 oil on timber panel signed lower right: E.Gruner 33.5 x 21cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, New South Wales The Estate of Carol Lynette Crooks, Sydney EXHIBITIONS: Elioth Gruner, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 13 July - 4 September 1983 (label verso)
Leonard Joel
Aug. 28, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER, A MOUNTAIN CASTLE, ITALY, C.1924
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882 - 1939) A MOUNTAIN CASTLE, ITALY, c.1924 oil on board 37.5 x 46.0 cm signed lower right: GRUNER inscribed with title verso: A Mountain Castle, Italy bears inscription verso: 18986 / E GRUNER / CAPRI 1924 PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, until at least 1929 Mrs John Maund, Sydney, by 1940 Artarmon Galleries, Sydney Private collection, Sydney, acquired in 1982 EXHIBITED Salon de la Société National des Beaux Arts, Grand Palais, Paris, 1928 Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 April – 31 May 1940, cat. 35 (label attached verso, lent by Mrs John Maund) Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 5 July – 4 August 1940, cat. 13 (lent by Mrs John Maund) Elioth Gruner 1882 – 1939, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 13 July – 4 September 1983, cat. 44 (label attached verso, as ‘CAPRI, 1924’) Director’s Choice, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney, 13 – 30 April, 2013, cat. 64 (as ‘Capri, 1924’) LITERATURE Ure Smith, S., and Gellert, L. (eds), ,The Recent Work of Elioth Gruner,, Art in Australia, Sydney, 3rd series, no. 27, March 1929, pl. 34 (illus. as ‘Capri / Oil painting’) Campbell, R., ‘The Art of Gruner’, Art in Australia, Sydney, 3rd Series, no. 79, 23 May 1940, p. 31
Deutscher and Hackett
Jul. 24, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Spring Morning, Middle Harbour 1913 oil on canvas 76.7 x 154.7 cm
Est: $250,000 - $350,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Spring Morning, Middle Harbour 1913 oil on canvas signed and dated 'E GRUNER / 1913' lower right 76.7 x 154.7 cm PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Society of Artists, Sydney Bank of New South Wales, Sydney, acquired from the above in November 1913 Sir John Russell French KBE, Sydney, gift from the above in November 1913 Mr W. Russell French, Sydney, by descent from the above in 1921 A Most Extensive Collection of Rare Antique and Period Furniture …, James R. Lawson, Sydney, 7-9 June 1966, lot 676, 'Sydney Harbour' An Important Collection of Splendid Antique and Period Furniture …, James R. Lawson, Sydney, 1-2 March 1967, 'Middle Harbour 1915' Sir Leon and Lady Trout, Brisbane Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, acquired from the above in 1978 Fine Australian Paintings, Sotheby's Australia, Melbourne, 22 April 1996, lot 5, 'Dreamy Morning, Middle Harbour 1919', illustrated Private Collection, Melbourne, acquired from the above Australian and European Paintings, Christie's Australia, Melbourne, 23 November 1998, lot 87, 'Dreamy Morning, Middle Harbour', illustrated Ron Walker, Melbourne, acquired from the above The Estate of the Late Ron Walker AC CBE, Melbourne EXHIBITED The Society of Artists Spring Exhibition, Queen Victoria Markets, Sydney, 22 November – 6 December 1913, no. 13, 100 gns Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 April – 31 May 1940, no. 95, 'Sydney Harbour, 1913' Master Works from the Collection of Sir Leon and Lady Trout, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 21 September – 14 December 1977, no. 16 Queensland Art Gallery Acquisitions 1978, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 12 December 1978 – 22 January 1979, no. 65 LITERATURE 'Fine Pictures. Society of Artists. Annual Exhibition', The Evening News, Sydney, 21 November 1913, p. 4 'Spring Pictures. Society of Artists', The Sun, Sydney, 21 November 1913, p. 5 'Society of Artists. Annual Exhibition', The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 22 November 1913, p. 6 'Society of Artists. Annual Exhibition', The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 22 November 1913, p. 4 'The City and Pugilism', The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 22 November 1913, p. 20 'Opening of Society of Artists Exhibition', The Sunday Times, Sydney, 23 November 1913, p. 6 'The Society of Artists' Exhibition', The Sydney Mail, 26 November 1913, p. 19 'Art Exhibitions in Sydney', The Town and Country Journal, Sydney, 26 November 1913, p. 54 'Woman's Page', The Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 27 November 1913, p. 29 'Social News and Gossip', The Catholic Press, Sydney, 27 November 1913, p. 42 'Sydney Week by Week', Table Talk, Melbourne, 4 December 1913, p. 41 'Gossip from Sydney', Goulburn Evening Penny Post, New South Wales, 6 December 1913, p. 1 'Our Art Gallery. The Trustees Criticised. Australians Passed Over', The Evening News, Sydney, 6 December 1913, p. 4 'Society of Artists', The Newsletter, Sydney, 6 December 1913, p. 3 'An Idle Woman's Diary', The Bathurst National Advocate, Bathurst, 12 December 1913, p. 1 'An Idle Woman's Diary', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, Newcastle, 12 December 1913, p. 11 'A Great Banker. Mr. J. Russell French's Jubilee', The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 12 December 1913, p. 12 'Clever Sydney Artist', The Sun, Sydney, 28 December 1913, p. 12 'A Presentation Picture', The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 20 November 1914, p. 3 Queensland Art Gallery: Selected Works, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 1982, pp. 70, 133 (illustrated), 'Dreamy Morning, Sydney Harbour 1919' Barry Pearce, Elioth Gruner 1882-1939, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1983, p. 14
Smith & Singer
Jul. 07, 2024
Elioth Gruner Catalogue
Est: $100 - $200
Elioth Gruner - The Texture of Light by Deborah Clark. Published by The Newcastle Art Gallery 2014. Catalogue for the exhibition at Canberra Museum and Gallery March - June 2014 and Newcastle Art Gallery July to October 2014. Paperback. Excellent copy
Sydney Rare Book Auctions
Jun. 26, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939), Mount Tennant (Canberra) 1934
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SYDNEY ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Mount Tennant (Canberra) 1934 oil on canvas on board 39.0 x 46.0 cm; 55.0 x 62.0 cm (framed) signed lower right: GRUNER
Menzies
Jun. 26, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939), Summer 1921
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SYDNEY ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Summer 1921 oil on canvas on board 29.0 x 40.0 cm; 42.5 x 53.0 cm (framed) signed and dated lower right: E GRUNER/ 1921
Menzies
Jun. 06, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER SPRING FROST PRINT
Est: $10 - $40
ELIOTH GRUNER SPRING FROST PRINT
Albion Antique Auction Centre
May. 26, 2024
GRUNER Elioth (1882-1939), Summer Pastoral, New Zealand, c.1931., Oil on Canvas on Board, 36x44cm
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
GRUNER, Elioth (1882-1939) Summer Pastoral, New Zealand, c.1931. Signed lower right. Oil on Canvas on Board 36x44cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, New Zealand, purchased c.1930; thence by descent, private collection, Nelson, New Zealand; Dunbar Sloane, Wellington 10th August 2016 (lot 76); Cordy's Auckland, 6th November 2018 (lot 643); private collection, England; Christie's, London, 12th March 2020 (lot 13); private collection, NSW. EXHIBITIONS: New England Regional Art Gallery, 'Lounge Room Collector No.4: The Vassella Collection,' May - July 2021 (label verso) OTHER NOTES: Related work: Elioth GRUNER 'Rotorua,' 1931 (illus.), currently on show at the Oceania exhibition, New England Regional Gallery
Davidson Auctions
May. 16, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER, OIL ON BOARD, RURAL LANDSCAPE SCENE TITLED "DROUGHT", SIGNED LOWER RIGHT E.GRUNER 1919, MEASURES 22CM W X 31CM H
Est: $10 - $40
ELIOTH GRUNER, OIL ON BOARD, RURAL LANDSCAPE SCENE TITLED "DROUGHT", SIGNED LOWER RIGHT E.GRUNER 1919, MEASURES 22CM W X 31CM H
Albion Antique Auction Centre
Apr. 21, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER NORMAN LINDSAY
Est: $100 - $150
Elioth Gruner. Twenty-four Reproductions in Colour from Original Oil Paintings. Forward By Norman Lindsay. Published in Sydney by The Shepherd Press., Sydney, 1947. Number 125 in an edition of 2000 copies. Original cloth with some tiny wear to the top and bottom of the spine. The glassine dustwrapper a little dirty. Very good copy. Complete with 24 tipped in colour plates including the frontispiece - a self portrait
Sydney Rare Book Auctions
Mar. 23, 2024
Attributed to Elioth Gruner (1882-1939),
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Tree on a Hillside oil on canvas board unsigned 10cm x 16.5cm Provenance: Private Collection, Sydney
Aalders Auctions
Mar. 19, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Evening on the Harbour 1920 oil on canvas on board 29 x 37cm
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882-1939) Evening on the Harbour 1920 oil on canvas on board signed and dated lower left: E GRUNER / 1920 29 x 37cm PROVENANCE: Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 22 July 1987, lot 60 (titled Sydney Harbour Mist) Sotheby's, Melbourne, 22 April 1996, lot 109 Private collection, Sydney OTHER NOTES: Elioth Gruner is one of Australia's most important landscape painters, having won the Wynne Prize for landscape painting seven times, more than any other artist besides Hans Heysen. Gruner is renowned for his ability to capture the ephemeral effects of light as it plays upon the landscape. Immigrating from New Zealand when he was a baby, Elioth Gruner grew up in Sydney where his mother encouraged his love of art. Gruner's first painting exhibited was a still-life with the Society of Artists in 1901. From around 1907 his work began to attract serious attention with the artist Norman Lindsay amongst his admirers. In 1912 Gruner dedicated himself to his art full-time. He spent weekends painting beach and harbour scenes around Sydney and in 1915 began to travel to the farmlands of Emu Plains, west of Sydney. Greatly influenced by the French Impressionists, Gruner preferred to paint his landscapes en plein air. In 1916 he won the Wynne Prize for the first time with his small landscape, Morning Light, which was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Gruner's masterpiece of the Emu Plains series, and his best-known painting, Spring Frost 1919, won him his second Wynne Prize. The present lot was painted just a year following, in 1920, where we see first-hand the use of Gruner's painterly techniques to explore the effects of light and movement upon water. Short daubs of paint knit together to form the dense vegetation on the shore, whilst lengthier vertical strokes blend together over the water to create a moody atmosphere. The hint of movement in the otherwise calm waters is inferred by the patches of horizontal brush strokes in the foreground. The slightly elevated point of view allows for an expansive vista across the harbour to the misted headland in the distance. Whilst the shadow of the nearer headland looms further over the water as night begins to descend. The influence of Australian artist Max Meldrum's tonal theory has often been remarked upon in Gruner's work, as well as the brushwork of E Phillips Fox and Grace Cossington Smith. With the death of his beloved mother in 1922, Gruner was free to pursue overseas travel, the effects of which became prominent in his artist output in the years that followed. His works can be found in galleries and collections across Australia including: the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane; and many more. Madeleine Norton Head of Decorative Arts & Art, Sydney
Leonard Joel
Mar. 07, 2024
FRAMED PRINT “THE WAVE” BY ELIOTH GRUNER 1907.
Est: $10 - $40
FRAMED PRINT “THE WAVE” BY ELIOTH GRUNER 1907.
Albion Antique Auction Centre
Feb. 15, 2024
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882 - 1939) - Untitled (Landscape) oil on canvas laid on card 25 x 34.5 cm (frame: 42 x 51 x 5 cm)
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Elioth Gruner Australian, 1882-1939 Untitled (Landscape) oil on canvas laid on card unsigned; inscribed verso "Gruner" to original frame
Lawsons
Jan. 04, 2024
[AUSTRALIAN ART] Elioth Gruner: Twenty-Four Reproductions in Colour (Deluxe Edition)
Est: $400 - $500
Elioth Gruner: Twenty-Four Reproductions in Colour from Original Oil Paintings Sydney: Shepherd Press, 1947. Deluxe Edition. 34cm x 26cm. [30] pages, 24 tipped in colour plates, 8 tipped in drypoint reproductions. Full leather, gilt lettering and decoration, slipcase. Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) was one of Australia's most prominent landscape painters, winning the Wynne prize for landscape painting seven times. Foreword by Norman Lindsay. One of the deluxe edition of 200 copies, of which this is number 129. The deluxe edition printed on high quality rag paper bound in full leather with gilt dentelles, the plates with printed tissue guards, and with an additional 8 tipped in plates of drypoints from the John Collection. Very minor wear to leather. Minor foxing, mostly to endpapers. Very Good Condition.
The Book Merchant Jenkins
Jan. 04, 2024
[AUSTRALIAN ART] The Art of Elioth Gruner
Est: $200 - $300
Sydney Ure Smith; Leon Gellert (editors) The Art of Elioth Gruner Sydney: Art in Australia, No date. First Edition. Signed by the Artist. 28cm x 23cm. [viii], 16 pages, 42 tipped in plates (many in colour). Quarter cloth. Limited to 600 signed and numbered copies, of which this is number 152. An introduction by the editors. Essays by Julian Ashton and Norman Lindsay. Minor wear to boards. Previous owner's inscription. Bookseller's label of Angus & Robertson, Sydney. Very minor foxing and soiling to interior. Very Good Condition.
The Book Merchant Jenkins
Jan. 04, 2024
[AUSTRALIAN ART] Elioth Gruner: Twenty-Four Reproductions in Colour from Original Oil Paintings
Est: $80 - $120
Elioth Gruner: Twenty-Four Reproductions in Colour from Original Oil Paintings Sydney: Shepherd Press, 1947. First Edition. 31cm x 25.5cm. [30] pages, 24 tipped in colour plates. Brown cloth, gilt lettering and decoration, top edge red, original acetate jacket. Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) was one of Australia's most prominent landscape painters, winning the Wynne prize for landscape painting seven times. Foreword by Norman Lindsay. One of the standard edition of 2,000 copies, of which this is number 896. Minor marks to cloth.
The Book Merchant Jenkins
Jan. 04, 2024
[AUSTRALIAN ART] The Recent Work of Elioth Gruner (Deluxe Edition)
Est: $300 - $400
Elioth Gruner The Recent Work of Elioth Gruner Sydney: Art in Australia, 1929. Deluxe Edition. Signed by the Artist. 23.5cm x 19cm. 38 plates. Quarter cloth. Limited to 40 copies, of which 30 are offered for sale, containing a special colour reproduction which is an engraver's proof tipped in, titled 'Man and Mountains', which is signed by the artist. The plates were engraved for this edition only and have been destroyed. A rare deluxe edition produced in small numbers. This copy with the bookplate of Tom Mathieson. Minor wear to boards. Minor foxing to top edge, very minor to interior. Very Good Condition.
The Book Merchant Jenkins
Nov. 25, 2023
GRUNER Elioth (1882-1939), 'The Church', W/Clr, 53x32.5cm
Est: $1,500 - $3,000
GRUNER, Elioth (1882-1939) 'The Church' Signed lower right. W/Clr 53x32.5cm PROVENANCE: Christie's, Melbourne, 26th November 1996 (lot 126); private collection, Sydney. OTHER NOTES: Steven Miller (compiling artist's catalogue raisonné) states, 'no. 242 in the ledger, listed simply as 'The Church' and originally sold through Basil Burdett in 1922 for 30gns'.
Davidson Auctions
Nov. 22, 2023
ELIOTH GRUNER, MORNING, BACCHUS MARSH, VICTORIA, 1930
Est: $35,000 - $45,000
ELIOTH GRUNER (1882 - 1939) MORNING, BACCHUS MARSH, VICTORIA, 1930 oil on canvas 50.5 x 61.0 cm signed and dated lower right: GRUNER / 1930 inscribed with title verso: MORNING / Bacchus Marsh / Victoria PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner ( possibly ledger no. 365, presented to the Returned Soldiers’ Imperial League c.1930) Norman Schureck, Sydney, by 1958 Geoff K. Gray Auctions, Sydney, 28 November 1973, lot 44 Private collection Christie’s, Melbourne, 14 March 1974, lot 432 (as ‘Bacchus Marsh, Victoria’) Private collection, Sydney Private collection, New South Wales EXHIBITED Norman Schureck Loan Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 27 May – 29 June 1958, cat.49 We are grateful to Steven Miller, Head of the Edmund and Joanna Capon Research Library and Archive, Art Gallery of New South Wales, for his assistance with this catalogue entry. ESSAY In the June 1930 edition of The Home magazine, it was announced that ‘Elioth Gruner, who has been painting in Victoria, has been sketching with George Bell and Darryl Lindsay in the Bacchus Marsh district.’1 Gruner was midway through an epic road journey that had taken him from Sydney down to Gippsland, and would subsequently include Adelaide before his return to Sydney in August. He was already one of Australia’s most celebrated landscape artists but was also notable for his considered response to new ideas concerning art, one result of which was his exploration of a mannered form of modernism since the mid-1920s. The fact that he was now painting alongside two well-known artist-peers on Woiwurrung and Wathaurong country in Bacchus Marsh implies that conversations regarding technique and approach would have been high on their agenda, and subtle results of these may be seen in the perfectly composed Morning, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, 1930. Gruner’s great love was light and its effect upon land cultivated by European hands. As a result, the broken brushwork of impressionism had influenced much of his early input with, for example, Spring frost, 1919 (Art Gallery of New South Wales) winning the prestigious Wynne Prize; he would eventually be honoured with the Wynne awards seven times during his career. In 1923, the British artist Sir William Orpen roundly criticised Gruner’s Valley of the Tweed, 1921 (which had also won the Wynne) in front of the artist whilst the painting was on exhibition in London. At first shocked by the encounter, Gruner subsequently travelled to France and began putting some of Orpen’s suggestions into practice, such as a greater emphasis on design, a flattening of forms and a heightening of colour, all of which may be detected in Morning, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. In January 1930, Gruner’s On the Murrumbidgee won yet another Wynne and shortly after the announcement, he climbed into his Model A Ford and headed for Gippsland. Several significant works resulted including Mitchell River, Victoria (Deutscher and Hackett, 14 September 2022, lot 24) and Valley near Bairnsdale (Deutscher and Hackett, 10 November 2021, lot 47). Journeying further to join Bell and Lindsay in mid-April, he painted Morning, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, plausibly one of the ‘24 by 20’ inch (50.5 x 61.0 cm) canvases he mentions in a letter to Basil Burdett, describing them as being ‘quite different to anything so far.’2 Of particular note is the powerful and dynamic interplay between the angled bank of clouds to the right and the contrasting copse of trees which counterbalance the soft curves of the hills and river below; such bold sky-versus-land interplays are not prominent in Gruner’s earlier work. In a companion painting done a few kilometres away, Myrniong, Victoria, 1930 (location unknown), he sets a similar bank of clouds to the alternate side, this time echoing the route of a country road. It is these harmonious yet dynamic contrasts which underscore Gruner’s opinion the Bacchus Marsh paintings were ‘different’; indeed, he subsequently wrote to Burdett of his triumphant belief that he had ‘painted a sky at last.’3 1. 'Art Notes', The Home: an Australian Quarterly, Art in Australia, vol. 11 no. 6, 2 June 1930, p. 13 2. Elioth Gruner. Letter to Basil Burdett, May 1930. Art Gallery of New South Wales archives. MS1995. 9, 1/17/09 3. Elioth Gruner. Letter to Basil Burdett, 29 May 1930. Art Gallery of New South Wales archives. MS1995. 9, 1/17/10 ANDREW GAYNOR
Deutscher and Hackett
Oct. 08, 2023
GRUNER Elioth (1882-1939), 'The Poplars', Etching No.24, 15x17.5cm
Est: $500 - $800
GRUNER, Elioth (1882-1939) 'The Poplars' Etching No.24 15x17.5cm
Davidson Auctions
Aug. 29, 2023
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Pastoral Scene
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
Elioth Gruner (1882-1939) Pastoral Scene signed lower right: 'E. Gruner' oil on board 24.5 x 29.5cm (9 5/8 x 11 5/8in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Aug. 23, 2023
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Berry's Bay 1915 oil on canvas on board 22.5 x 29.5 cm
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
ELIOTH GRUNER 1882-1939 Berry's Bay 1915 oil on canvas on board signed and dated 'E. GRUNER / 1915' lower right 22.5 x 29.5 cm PROVENANCE Elioth Gruner, Sydney Miss Dulcie Stainton, Sydney Private Collection Australian and European Paintings, Leonard Joel, Melbourne, 3 August 1999, lot 202 Gould Galleries, Melbourne and Sydney (stock 12,271), acquired from the above Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Elioth Gruner Memorial Loan Exhibition, National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 April - 31 May 1940, no. 81 Twentieth Century Australian Art: A Major Collectors' Exhibition, Gould Galleries, Melbourne, 25 March - 30 April 2000; Gould Galleries, Sydney, 13 May - 11 June 2000, no. 6, illustrated
Smith & Singer