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Rex Battarbee - Artist and Founder of the Aboriginal Art Movement in Central Australia

Text by T. G. H. Strehlow

Published by The Legend Press, Sydney, 1956

With the dustjacket, First Edition

With a biographical note and introduction. The 17 colour plates are printed by photolithography.

Rex Battarbee is often referred to as the man who "discovered" and first trained Albert Namatjira to paint in watercolours. It was almost certainly Battarbee's paintings of their homeland that first induced Namatjira and his followers to take up water-colour painting.

Rex Battarbee was born in 1893 at Warrnambool in Victoria, where his parents were dairy farmers at that time. His sister Florida, already trained as a painter under Walter Withers, guided the cultural life of the district and first introduced Rex to the secrets of the palette. His interest in the Australian aboriginal was first awakened by acquaintance with an old man, the last of the local tribe, who lived in a mia-mia near the Battarbee farm.

The plates consist of:

Watercolours by Rex Battarbee:

  • Ghost Gum, Alice Springs. N.T.

  • Mt. Sonder, Glen Helen, N.T.

  • Ormiston Gorge, MacDonnell Ranges.

  • Nabi, Pintubi Tribesman, N.T.

  • Finke River, Hermannsburg, N.T.

  • Nultilinja, James Range, N.T.

  • A Decorous Ghost Gum.

  • Finke River Gum.

  • Finke River Gorge, Glen Helen.

  • Mt. Gillen Range, Central Australia.

  • Quaraitnama, Finke River.

    Watercolours by Albert Namatjira:

  • Euro and Ghost Gum, Arumba.

  • Glen Helen, MacDonnell Ranges.

  • Razorback, Western MacDonnell Ranges.

    Watercolours by Aranda Artists:

  • Spearing an Emu. By Enos Namatjira.

  • Areyonga Valley. By Ewald Namatjira.

  • Totemic Gum, James Range. By Otto Pareroultja.

  • Colour Pattern, MacDonnell Ranges. By Edwin Pareroultja.

    In hardcover in black cloth with silver Aboriginal pictogram decorations, with the dustjacket, in 48 pages. The Dustjacket: There is some wear mostly to the edges, and old clear tape in places to the inside of the dustjacket. There is light scattered foxing to the inside of the dustjacket and to the rear panel. The Book: There is no shelfwear. There are some light marks mostly to the front cover. There is very light scattered foxing to the first and last two leaves only. There is the usual offsetting to the front and rear blank endpapers. There are no previous owners' names or inscriptions. All plates are bright, fresh and crisp - pristine. There are no missing, creased, loose, damaged, or stained pages. The binding and block are solid. It is complete and original.

  •  Measures 19cm x 25cm.

    • A beautiful first edition.

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