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The new house

John Brack1953

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia

The new house' by John Brack is a depiction of Australian culture during the Menzies era, where the home was viewed as the foundation of the Australian way of life. It portrays a conventional married couple - suburban homeowners - standing in front of their fireplace in a simply adorned interior. A reproduction of van Gogh's 'Langlois Bridge' (1888) hangs above the mantelpiece, while beneath it a small clock marks the time. The white apron worn by the woman, indicative of her domestic duties, suggests that lunch has just concluded.

'The new house' is strictly composed on a narrow vertical canvas with a precise arrangement of colour. It pervades a sense of flatness, embodied by Brack's smooth application of paint, emphasising the clean, sparse qualities of the room.

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  • Title: The new house
  • Creator: John Brack
  • Date Created: 1953
  • Location: Melbourne/Victoria/Australia
  • Physical Dimensions: 142.5 x 71.2 cm frame
  • Provenance: Reg Grundy, 1995-2013, Commonwealth of the Bahamas; Joy Chambers, 1995-2013, Commonwealth of the Bahamas
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Purchased with funds provided by the Gleeson O'Keefe Foundation 2013
  • External Link: https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/192.2013
  • Medium: oil on canvas on hardboard
  • Signature & Date: Signed and dated l.r. corner, black oil "John Brack 53".
  • Object Other Titles: The New House
  • Artist Country: Australia
Art Gallery of New South Wales

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