Born in the Brisbane suburb of Yeronga in 1895, Lloyd Rees became one of Australia’s leading 20th century artists. Lloyd was greatly inspired by European architecture, an interest which infuses many of his drawings.
A skilled painter and printmaker, Lloyd was first and foremost a draughtsman. He studied at the Brisbane Technical College before gaining employment as a clerk in 1911, for which he would run errands around Brisbane. This presented an opportunity for Lloyd to observe the architecture and atmosphere of Brisbane, an experience he described as “my joy and my release, because I walked in a Brisbane of my own creation”.
The displayed artworks are significant as they represent some of Lloyd’s earliest recorded sketches produced between 1912 and 1917. They demonstrate Lloyd’s keen interest in light and landscape, offering a rare insight into his depictions of people – subject matter which did not feature in his later practice. Lloyd’s sketches of Brisbane are evocative of European cities such as Paris and Rome, the cityscapes which first ignited his imagination. Inspired by his wanderings through Brisbane, the artworks in this exhibition encourage us to view our city through the lens of romanticism and escape.
This online exhibition represents artworks included in the exhibition Lloyd Rees at Museum of Brisbane, 11 December 2019 – 20 May 2020.
