Four panels for a screen: loquat tree, gum and wattle trees, waterfall, picnic in a gully

The panels of this magnificent screen depict subjects from the artist’s garden and surrounding bush landscape. Cossington Smith was especially pleased with the third panel. As she said in an interview with Alan Roberts: ‘There used to be a waterfall along there … called Lovers’ Leap … a lovely proper one … and I did a painting … with the length of the waterfall on the panel … I think it came off rather well; rocks and waterfall and the bush.’ This screen was commissioned by a collector in the United Kingdom who rejected it and acquired The gully instead. At the time the artist was disappointed and vowed never to do another commission. Many years later she was delighted when the work was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia.

Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2010