The 9 by 5 Impressionism Exhibition

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Boat on Beach, Queenscliff Oil 1887 Tom Roberts

The lesser-known Australian Impressionist painters were pioneers in portraying the unique light, landscape and daily life of Australia. We have featured them in our article, The Australian Impressionists.

Perhaps the most famous exhibition of these artists was produced in 1889 and called the 9 x 5 Impressionism Exhibition. It took place in Melbourne and featured 183 works, all roughly 9” by 5” (23 cm by 13 cm) - the size of a cigar box lid, upon which many of the works were painted.

“There was no precedent in the history of Australian art for artists grouping together to plan, promote and present an exhibition that reflected such a unified vision, and which aimed to engage the public with what was still widely regarded as a bold new approach to painting.” - National Gallery of Victoria

Only about one-third of the paintings exhibited survive today. Here are two more: