Charles Blackman (1928-2018) Barbara, c.1951

Charles Blackman (1928-2018) Barbara, c.1951 signed lower left: 'Blackman' oil on board 68.0 x 46.0cm (26 3/4 x 18 1/8in). Footnotes: PROVENANCE Private collection Christie's, Melbourne, 28 November 2001, lot 261 Private collection, Melbourne The 1950s was an extremely creative period in Charles Blackman's oeuvre, that forms one of the most critical periods in Australian Art history. Beginning with his time in Queensland, Blackman was drawn to Melbourne encouraged by the artistic milieu of the city. He moved with Barbara Paterson whom he would marry in 1951, their unity becoming a constant source of nourishment and mutual development. Throughout the 1950s, and the decades that followed, the three strongest forces in the genre of Charles Blackman were the world of literature, the lost domain of childhood, and women. He is pursued by images that have constantly arisen from these sources. Of these most powerful invocations, the image of women is perhaps the strongest - he has painted them in a fashion rarely captured by other painters and was able to reach the emotions, the dreams and the inner world of women. The present work was painted circa 1951, captures Barbara in a moment of vulnerability and isolation. An endearing evocation of their mutual connection, further cementing Blackman's reputation and profound ability to paint the unpaintable. PLEASE NOTE THIS WORK CAN BE VIEWED IN OUR MELBOURNE GALLERY For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing