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Other titles
Woman in the Bath 4
Woman in bath IV
Woman in the bath 4
Painting
oil, paper, graphite and tempera on plywood
183.1 x 218.7cm board; 188.0 x 224.0 x 6.3cm frame
Purchased with funds provided by the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales 2000
191.2000
Brett Whiteley Studio, Display Lower Level
Further information
Following his Sigean abstractions, Whiteley's increasing preoccupation with the female torso led to his bathroom series which preserved the warm colours of his abstractions while constrasting them with the bathroom's acid blues and greens. The series signalled his breakthrough as a figure draughtsman and his desire to make eroticism more explicit:
'All the paintings I have made in the last four years have been concerned one way or another with sex and the desire to record sensual behaviour.'
- Brett Whiteley 1964
Focusing on the naked form of his wife Wendy in the bath, Whiteley's Woman in bath series, captured the tactility and tones of her flesh with a profound intimacy, rarely equalled in later paintings on this subject.
Bibliography
Periodical; Look; Jill Sykes (Australia); May 2009, 13 (colour illus.), 14, 'Years of enrichment: The society reaches another milestone' by Craig Bush, pg. 12-15.
Book Catalogue; Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection; Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 2008, 103 (colour illus.)
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.
Periodical; Look; Jane Hampson; Dec 2000-Jan 2001, 23 (colour illus.), 'The year of giving generously' by Alejandra Szczepaniak, pg. 22-23.
Periodical; Look; Judith White (Australia); Oct 2000, 8 (colour illus., detail), 24 (colour illus.), 25, 'Indigo icon', pg. 25.
Newspaper; Sun-Herald; Unknown (Australia); 30 Jul 2000, page unknown (colour illus.), '$3332,000 paid to see woman in bath' by Miranda Wood., Article about Gallery's purchase of this painting; review of 'Australian Icons' exhibition.
Newspaper; The Australian; Campbell Reid (Australia, active 1997-2001); 30 Jun 2000, 6, 'Buyers pay till it Mertz, and will keep works at home' by Georgina Safe, pg. 6., Auction of Mertz Collection and purchase of 'Woman in bath IV' by AGNSW.
Auction catalogue; Christie's Australia. The Harold E Mertz Collection of Australian Art: Melbourne 28 June 2000; Christie's, Australia Pty. Ltd. (Australia); 2000, 71 (colour illus.), lot no. 57; estimated price $350,000 - $550,000; titled 'Woman in Bath IV'; dated 1964
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 2000; Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874); 2000, 8, 'Year in review', pg. 8-20.
Exhibition catalogue; Brett Whiteley Art & Life; Barry Pearce (Australia); 1995, 22-23, 84-85 (colour illus.), 227, 'The London years' by Bryan Robertson, pg. 8-14.'Bathroom Series' by Barry Pearce, pg. 74-85., plate no. 32; titled 'Woman in bath'; dated 1964; NOTE: this work was not in the exhibition; general reference to bathroom series
General/Book; Brett Whiteley; Sandra McGrath (United States of America; Australia); 1979, 38, 40
Scholarly/Book; Art since mid-century: The New Internationalism; New York Graphic Society (United States of America); 1971, 85 (illus.), 87, 88, 'Expressionism since 1945 and the Cobra Movement' by Émile Langui., vol.2 Figurative Art; plate no. 92; NOTE: this image depicts the early version of the painting before re-working
Periodical; Life; Editor Unknown; 03 Apr 1967, 28 (colour illus.), 'Australian Art'., titled 'Woman in Bath'
Exhibition catalogue; The Australian painters 1964-1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection; Ross K Luck (Australia, active 1967); 1967, 28, 66 (colour illus.), cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath', dated 1964
Periodical; Bulletin of the National Gallery of South Australia; National Gallery of South Australia (Australia); Apr 1966, front cover (illus.), Reproduction shows interior shot of the Mertz Collection exhibition with 'Woman in bath' on wall in the Intermediate Gallery.
Exhibition catalogue; Adelaide Festival of Arts 1966: Special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia; Editor Unknown; 1966, not paginated, 'The Mertz collection of contemporary Australian art'., cat.no. 97; titled 'Woman in Bath VI'; not dated
Newspaper; Daily news; Editor Unknown; 07 Jan 1965, page unknown (illus.), 'It's his wife!!"., General review of T.E. Wardle Invitation Art Prize 1965
Periodical; Domus (no. 416); Editoriale Domus S.p.A. (Italy, estab. 1928); Jul 1964, 48, 'Mostre a Londra' by Joseph Rykwert, pg. 48, General review of Marlborough exhibition
Periodical; The Burlington Magazine; Editor Unknown; Jun 1964, 298, 'Current and forthcoming exhibitions' by Anita Brookner, pg. 298., General review of Marlborough exhibition
Periodical; The Spectator; Editor Unknown; 15 May 1964, 'Bride in the bath' by Nevile Wallis, pg. 663-664., General review of Marlborough exhibition
Periodical; Arts review [vol. 16, no. 8]; Editor Unknown; 02 May 1964-16 May 1964, page unknown, 'Brett Whiteley: Marlborough New London Gallery' by Kenneth Coutts-Smith., General review of Marlborough exhibition
Exhibition catalogue; Brett Whiteley; Marlborough New London Gallery (England); Mar 1964, (illus.), not paginated; cat.no. 16; titled 'Woman in the Bath 4'; dated 1963
Periodical; The Studio; Editor Unknown; Mar 1964, 'Brett Whiteley: Classicism and actuality' by Charles S. Spencer, pg. 108-111., General review of Marlborough exhibition
Exhibition venue
Title: Brett Whiteley: Interiors
Organizer: The Brett Whiteley Studio
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Venue: The Brett Whiteley Studio
Opening: 14 Jul 2001
Closing: 14 Oct 2001
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: Australian paintings from the Mertz collection
Organizer: Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas)
Venue: Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas)
Opening: 01 Jun 1990
Closing: 12 Aug 1990
Notes: titled: 'Woman in bath'
Title: Australian paintings of the 1960s: selections from the Mertz collection
Organizer: Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas)
Venue: Archer M Huntington Art Gallery (University of Texas)
Opening: 30 May 1984
Closing: 21 Aug 1984
Notes: no catalogue produced
Title: The Australian painters 1964 - 1966: contemporary Australian painting from the Mertz collection
Organizer: The Corcoran Gallery of Art
Venue: Watkins Institute
Opening: 08 Feb 1970
Closing: 08 Mar 1970
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts
Opening: 02 Nov 1969
Closing: 30 Nov 1969
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Opening: 14 Sep 1969
Closing: 12 Oct 1969
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: West Virginia University
Opening: 12 Jan 1969
Closing: 09 Feb 1969
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Opening: 12 Sep 1968
Closing: 07 Nov 1968
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: Greenville Power & Light Company
Opening: 25 Apr 1968
Closing: 16 May 1968
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: University of Alabama
Opening: 01 Feb 1968
Closing: 07 Mar 1968
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: State University of New York
Opening: 07 Dec 1967
Closing: 28 Dec 1967
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: University Art Museum (University of Texas)
Opening: 26 Oct 1967
Closing: 16 Nov 1967
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersberg, Florida
Opening: 24 Aug 1967
Closing: 24 Sep 1967
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Venue: The Corcoran Gallery of Art
Opening: 10 Mar 1967
Closing: 24 Apr 1967
Notes: cat.no. 75; titled 'Woman in Bath' and dated 1964; colour illustration appears in the catalogue on page 66
Title: The Mertz collection of contemporary Australian painting: Adelaide Festival of Arts 1966
Organizer: Adelaide Festival of Arts
Venue: National Gallery of South Australia
Opening: 12 Mar 1966
Closing: 11 Apr 1966
Notes: cat.no. 97; exhibited in Gallery V, New Wing, First Floor of the National Gallery of South Australia
Title: T.E. Wardle Invitation Art Prize (1965)
Organizer: Skinner Galleries, Perth
Venue: Skinner Galleries, Perth
Opening: 02 Feb 1965
Closing: 14 Feb 1965
Notes: cat.no. 27
Title: Brett Whiteley
Organizer: Marlborough New London Gallery
Venue: Marlborough New London Gallery
Opening: 23 Apr 1964
Closing: 23 May 1964
Notes: cat.no. 16; titled 'Woman in the Bath 4' and dated 1963
NOTE: this work is illustrated in the catalogue - the water which falls from the shower head at the top right is very different from the version which was exhibited and illustrated in the catalogue for the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington held in 1967 (its appearance now).
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