Cedric Flower Cooma Cottage and other works of art

Cedric Flower, Cooma Cottage, Yass and other Works of Art.

The Artist

Cedric Flower as born in Neutral Bay, Sydney on 22nd August 1920 and was encouraged to draw at an early age. He went onto work at a small commercial studio and study life classes with Dattilo Rubbo (artist, 1870 to 1955) in the early 1940s. His decorative and whimsical style is very much based on his influences such as those of Raoul Dufy and the illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans. His first exhibition was in 1941 at Maquarie Galleries and since then has exhibited in over 40 solo exhibition in Australia. Flower is also known as an illustrator, cartoonist, writer, stage designer and film script writer in collaboration with his wife.

Cedric Flower's works of art are represented in the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Victoria and many municipal and regional collections in New South Wales and Queensland.

The Works of Art

The University of Canberra's Art Collection has three works of art by Cedric Flower and they are all different in theme and styles. The first, 'Felicity with Flowers', is an interior scene depicting the entrance to a hallway or lobby. On one side sits a black and white cat and on the other, a vase of flowers on a side-board. The view from the door is of the front porch with the classic iron-working  that decorated many pre-Federation homes. The work was created and acquired in 1975. The second work, 'White Horse by  the Dunes', was created in 1977 using oils onto hardboard. The figure of a small horse seems to be a little swamped by the scale of the surrounding landscape. Consequently, it feels a less well composed when compared to the interior scene or the Yass Cottage.

Cooma Cottage, Yass was painted in 1982 using oils onto hardboard. The work is similar in its whimsical style to Felicity with Flowers in that it depicts a typlical Pre Federation structure. The work is bright and well composed showing a classic country homestead with the red brick outbuildings and farmhouse. What also sets the scene off is the bright colours- the lush grassy green and gin blue sky. The style here shows more of a sense of realism which is notable compared to many other works by Cedric Flower.

Cooma Cottage, Yass is a nationally significant property to the north-west of Canberra. According to Visit-NSW, The great Australian explorer Hamilton Hume lived here from 1840 until his death in 1873. Hamilton Hume is famously known for his exploration from Gunning to Corio Bay with William Hovell in 1824-5. Hume ran three fine merino wool properties in the district. He extended Cooma Cottage into the now fine example of a Palladian Style Bungalow.

References

Cedric Flower entry, Design and Art Australia Online: https://www.daao.org.au/bio/cedric-flower/biography/

James Gleeson interview with Cedric Flower dated 6 November 1979 (art file)

Alan & Susan McCulloch, The Encyclopedia of Australian Art, Allen & Unwin 1994, Sydney. p259