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1963
Painting
oil on hardboard
264.5 x 274.0cm board
Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 1999
133.1999
Art Gallery of NSW, Ground Level, Australian Art 20th Century Galleries, Court 5
Further information
'Five Bells' is widely considered to be one of Olsen's most significant paintings, and yet it was hidden from public view for thirty-six years in the house of George and Eva Clarke, who commissioned the work.
Olsen, after seeing the painting again recently, related the story behind it:
'Five Bells was my first commission to paint in situ to cover a wall. The freedom, scale and scope of the commission challenged me to dare to try for a masterpiece. I didn't hesitate. I brushed a line around the core theme, the seed-burst, the life-burst, the sea-harbour, the source of life. Inside and around this core, I painted images drawn from metaphors and similes in [Kenneth] Slessor's poem of our harbour-city, and from my own emotional and physical involvement with the harbour, and with my young family in Watsons Bay, my 'Milkwood' fishing village.
I wanted to show the Harbour as a movement, a sea suck, and the sound of the water as though I am part of the sea ... The painting says directly what I wanted to say: 'I am in the sea-harbour, and the sea-harbour is in me'. So too is much of Slessor's poem of 'one life, of Joe, long dead, who lives between five bells'. Joe, 'long sucked away in mud', has become part of the harbour where 'the sea pinks bend like lilies'. Among the crabs, anemones, sea urchins, squid, mussels, and seaweeds of the rockpools and the harbour bottom, one can believe one sees a dead friend's 'gaunt chin and pricked eye'.'
- John Olsen 1999
Bibliography
Book Catalogue; Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection; Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 2008, 104-105 (colour illus.)
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Paul McGeough (Australia); 13 Oct 2004, 15 (colour illus.), 'Paintings that find works for the land' by Steve Meacham, pg. 15.
Periodical; Look: 1953-2003 celebrating 50 years; Jill Sykes (Australia); May 2003, 44, 'Presenting our own artists: how the AGS put balance into the Australian collection' by Barry Pearce, pg. 42-44.
Scholarly/Periodical; Art and Australia (Vol. 38, No. 3); Laura Murray Cree (Australia); Mar 2001-May 2001, 392, 393 (colour illus.), 'Critic's choice: John Olsen Five Bells' by Benjamin Genocchio, pg. 392-393.
Newspaper; The Weekend Australian; Campbell Reid (Australia, active 1997-2001); 09 Sep 2000-10 Sep 2000, 23 (colour illus.), 'Harbouring various delights' by Benjamin Genocchio, pg. 23., Review of 'Australian Icons' exhibition.
Newspaper; The Weekend Australian; Campbell Reid (Australia, active 1997-2001); 12 Aug 2000-13 Aug 2000, 3 (colour illus.), 'Time makes its judgment' by Barry Pearce, pg. 2-3., This colour supplement is a 'Review Special' published for the 'Weekend Australian'. It consists of a four-page, colour wrap-around for the 'Weekend Australian Review'. 'The Australian' was the media sponsor for the AGNSW Exhibition 'Australian Icons', for the Olympic Arts Festival 2000.
Periodical; Australian artist; Editor Unknown; Aug 2000, 5 (colour illus.), 'Australian Icons at the Art Gallery of New South Wales', pg, 4-5.
Newspaper; Daily telegraph; Editor Unknown; 22 Jul 2000, 124, 'Master strokes' by Elizabeth Foretscue, pg. 124., Review of the 'Australian Icons' exhibition.
Book; Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales; Barry Pearce (Australia); 2000, 12 (colour illus.), 16, 301, 'Introduction' by Barry Pearce, pg. 10-16.
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2000; Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874); 2000, 8, 19 (colour illus.), 'Year in review', pg. 8-20.
Periodical; Look; Judith White (Australia); Dec 1999-Jan 2000, 16 (colour illus.), 'A year of gifts to the Gallery' by Judith White, pg. 16.
Scholarly/Periodical; Art and Australia (Vol. 37, No. 2); Laura Murray Cree (Australia); Dec 1999-Feb 2000, 275 (colour illus.), 'Art market: Sales of the century' by Terry Ingram, pg.270-275.
Periodical; Look; Judith White (Australia); Nov 1999, 7, 20- 21 (colour illus.), 'Five bells'
Periodical; Look; Judith White (Australia); Oct 1999, 6, 'Message from the President of the Art Gallery Society' by Prue Allen, pg. 6.
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Paul McGeough (Australia); 09 Aug 1999
Newspaper; Courier Mail; Editor Unknown; 07 Aug 1999, (illus.), 'Runaway record' by Debra Aldred
Newspaper; The Australian financial review; David Armstrong (Australia); 05 Aug 1999, 'Randwick prices hint at bolting market' by Terry Ingram.
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Paul McGeough (Australia); 05 Aug 1999, 'Olsen felt 'rush of blood' ' by Peter Cochrane
Auction catalogue; Australian and European Paintings 3rd August 1999: Goodmans- Fine Art Auctioners and Valuers; Goodmans Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers (Australia) (Australia, closed 2003); Aug 1999, cover (colour illus.), colour illus., no pagination, lot. no. 95
Periodical; The Bulletin with Newsweek; Gerald Stone; 13 Jul 1999, 116 (illlus.), 'Water of life' by Anabel Dean
Newspaper; Sunday telegraph; Jeni Cooper; 11 Jul 1999, 201 (illus.), 'Sensitive guys at art' by Melissa Hayer
Newspaper; The Australian; Campbell Reid (Australia, active 1997-2001); 06 Jul 1999, 5 (illus.), 'A tale of five bells: Olsen's seminal harbour scene comes into view' by Ben Holgate
Educational/Television; Arts show report; Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia); Jul 1999, (illus.)
Educational/Television; John Olsen and Five Bells 1963 - 1999; Dick Collingridge (Australia); Jul 1999
Book; John Olsen; Deborah Hart (South Africa; United Kingdom; Australia, b.1959); 1991, 78 (colour illus.), 79, 113, 114, ''Salute to five bells' the Sydney Opera House Mural' pg. 111 - 122., cat.no. 48
Book; Sydney Harbour Paintings from 1794; Sandra McGrath (United States of America; Australia), Robert Walker; 1979, 86 (colour illus.), cat.no. 77 This publication refered to this work as "Five bells No. 1".
Educational/Television; Not a job for the boys; Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia); 1973, (illus.)
Exhibition venue
Title: Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection
Organizer: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Opening: 04 Aug 2000
Closing: 03 Dec 2000
Curator: Pearce, Barry
Title: Sydney Harbour 1794-1979
Organizer: S.H. Ervin Gallery
Venue: S.H. Ervin Gallery
Opening: 03 Aug 1979
Closing: 26 Aug 1979
Notes: cat.no. 77, titled as "Five bells No. 1'.
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