The St Vincent’s Foundation’s very first online auction is an opportunity to gain access to a selection of extraordinary items of art, jewellery and sporting memorabilia donated from private collections.
All funds raised go towards life-saving breast health services for St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
The online fundraising art auction is now LIVE
The collection includes something for everyone:
Rupert Bunny – The Picnic - (1864-1947)
Scene in Botanical Gardens Melbourne. Oil on canvas, circa 1932. Signed in monogram.
Melbourne born artist, Rupert Bunny, was one of the most successful Australian expatriate artists of his generation. No other Australian achieved the accolades Bunny accumulated in Paris in the 1890s and early 1900s. Bunny was the first Australian to be awarded honours at the prestigious exhibiting venue, the Paris Salon.
By the end of his career the French state had acquired 13 of his works – more than from any other Australian. During his lifetime his art could be seen in galleries in London, Paris, Brussels, Edinburgh, St Petersburg, Budapest, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
As Australian art critic John McDonald stated, "It is no exaggeration to say that Bunny had the greatest international reputation of any Australian-born painter”.
Charles Conder – Untitled - (1868-1909)
Romantic depiction of 18th century lovers, with companion dog, in a water garden. Oil on canvas.
Charles Conder was an English-born painter, lithographer and designer. He emigrated to Australia in 1884. He was one of the key founders of the Heidelberg school of Australian Impressionism with Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton, arguably the beginning of a distinctively Australian tradition in Western art.
Artists active in the Central Goldfields
Robert Maclaurin - Smoke Haze, Mt Macedon
Oil on cedarwood panel.
Robert MacLaurin is one of Scotland’s best-known artists. Robert initially came to Australia in 1994 after winning a Menzies Fellowship, painting at The Dunmoochin Foundation Studio. Since 2000, he has been based in Castlemaine but regularly returns to Scotland and Europe for exhibition commitments.
He has major works in many prestigious collections including The Scottish National Galleries Collection and The Royal Collection, HM The Queen.
“In his work is a clear and open sympathy for the starker, more quizzical Australian tradition, found in the mid-20th century work of such painters as Arthur Boyd and Fred Williams,” William Packer - Financial Times UK.
David Moore - Forest Creek, Castlemaine 2021
Oil on linen with Victorian ash float frame, hand-stained charcoal with matt varnish.
David Moore is the son of Graham Moore, a well-known Australian painter. He is inspired by the world he sees around him and paints still and landscape from life, using traditional methods but applied in his own individual way. After moving to Castlemaine, he prefers to paint landscape of familiar local subject matter.
David Moore’s paintings have been collected by several state collections and many thousands have been collected privately.
Celebrating St Vincent's Breast Cancer Services
Dawn Duncan-Smith - My Legacy and Respect - to the Beautiful Survivors
Mixed fabric and stitching
Dawn Duncan-Smith is a textile and mixed media artist. She created this artwork to celebrate the work of St Vincent’s Hospital in researching and treating breast cancer.
Artist Statement
I come from a family riddled with cancer, how many times have I hear this, but it is true. My grandmother, mother and Aunty died from either cervical or breast cancer, my mother aged only 45. My two sisters, one older and one younger than me were diagnosed with breast cancer in their early 40’s, only three months apart from each other.
That was over 20 years ago and I believed then that I would never get cancer, why, because I couldn’t be as brave and courageous while retaining my dignity as my sisters, and so many other women did?
I witnessed the transition of both women going through chemotherapy, losing their breasts and hair while dealing with this horrible disease. This artwork was created as a thank you for not having to take my sisters’ journey.
The crane represents beauty, harmony & grace so rightly sits beside my lady. So, to all those women who have lived with breast cancer, I raise my glass and say “to the beautiful survivors”.
Extended Collection
Barry Skinner - Abstract Bush
Oil on canvas. Landscape.
Barry Skinner was a theatre designer and artist. He was born in Melbourne and studied at RMIT and the NGV School. He exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas. Four paintings from Barry Skinner are available to purchase.
Jewellery
We have a selection of unique necklace and jewellery pieces on offer.
Elie Top for Lanvin, Paris - Crystal pendant necklace
A necklace pendant of white metal and Swarovski crystals. Designed by Elie Top for leading Paris-based fashion house, Lanvin.
To view the full collection of art, jewellery and sporting memorabilia and to start bidding:
The auction closes 2pm on Tuesday 18 October.
“Your support of the Art Auction will help us to continue to provide excellent breast cancer treatment and care that is focused on saving lives for the future.” - Caroline Baker, Head of Breast Surgery,
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
Click here for more information about the auction.
If you have any questions, please contact the St Vincent's Foundation team on (03) 9231 3365 or foundation@svha.org.au
