William Robinson Paintings & Artwork for Sale | William Robinson Art Value Price Guide

Nov. 26, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON, CREATION LANDSCAPE – THE ANCIENT TREES, 1998
Est: $100,000 - $150,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 CREATION LANDSCAPE – THE ANCIENT TREES, 1998 oil on linen 76.5 x 101.5 cm signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 98 bears inscription verso: C. L. Ancient Trees study - right bears inscription on backing verso: Creation Landscape – the Ancient Trees 1997 [sic] PROVENANCE Collection of the artist, Brisbane Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane Private collection, Queensland, acquired from the above 18 April 2007 RELATED WORK Creation landscape – the ancient trees, 1997, oil on canvas, 200.0 x 819.5 cm (overall), private collection, illus. in Darkness & Light: The Art of William Robinson, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, 2001, pl. 72, pp. 128 – 129 ESSAY While many Australian landscape painters traditionally looked towards Australia’s arid interior for inspiration, William Robinson embraced the rich rainforests and towering high country of Queensland mountain ranges for his most profound and important compositions. His unique contribution to the Australian landscape painting tradition involves a radical upending of conventional perspective to encompass the contrasting environments of rainforest and ocean; ground and sky; day and night; the elemental forces of wind, lightning, rain and fire. The dramatic features of the granite belt, with its soaring cliffs, meandering rivers, creeks and plummeting waterfalls offer Robinson the material he requires to flex his masterly innovations. Each new series is built upon the achievements of the previous, as he pushes the boundaries of his artistic abilities and the conventions of landscape painting. Amongst Robinson’s most powerful works is the earlier, vast triptych, Creation Landscape – the Ancient Trees, 1997 (private collection), inspired in part by a visit to the French High Gothic masterpiece, Chartres Cathedral. The central panel of the work features a stand of Antarctic Beech trees, believed to be two thousand years old, and it is easy to compare these ancient giants to the towering buttresses that support the roof of the Cathedral – similarly reaching toward the heavens. Significantly, the present work, Creation Landscape – the Ancient Trees, 1998, was painted after the third panel of the large triptych and was intended for the artist’s private collection. Indeed, the artist felt so strongly about the third panel of his celebrated triptych, that in 1998, following a further visit to Chartres Cathedral, he returned and painted the present composition as a homage. Perhaps he wanted a tangible reminder after the art critic for The Weekend Australian Giles Auty gushed that: ‘…when I first set eyes yesterday on William Robinson’s Creation Landscape – the Ancient Trees, I realised I was standing before a work of primary importance in the whole history of painting in Australia.’1 In his most ambitious work, Robinson gives equal weight to the physical grandeur of ancient forms, as he does to the ephemeral elements of light, mist, mood and atmosphere. But through the 1990s at time when his faith may have been tested, Robinson’s work took on a much deeper spiritual quality. In the act of painting there is a tipping point where the work takes over and a seamless synergy occurs between the artist, their materials and subject. The artist becomes the vehicle for the work and almost takes a backseat as the painting evolves in inspired revelation. Artists sometimes refer to a work painting itself when describing this shaman -like relationship between the artist and subject. Robinson arrives at this point early and you can feel the urgency his works attain as they reach toward a higher state of observation and translation. This state of oneness with the work is achieved by continuous immersion in the act of creation and Robinson typically works every day, all day – except Sundays. The artist is a deeply religious man, and his paintings can be viewed as a personal homage to the Creator. God rested on the sabbath and so does Robinson, reserving this day for reflection and music in humble observance of the Maker’s achievements. Like the Renaissance masters Robinson so much admires who grasped immortality through magnificent architecture and art, he too looks to the heavens for his inspiration. 1. Auty, G., ‘Auty Declares: I spy with my learned eye an Australian masterpiece’, The Weekend Australian, 28 – 29 March 1998, p. 3 HENRY MULHOLLAND © William Robinson
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 26, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON, TO BEECHMONT WITH STORM CLOUDS BUILDING, 2002
Est: $250,000 - $350,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 TO BEECHMONT WITH STORM CLOUDS BUILDING, 2002 oil on linen 122.0 x 183.0 cm signed and dated lower right: William Robinson / 2002 dated and inscribed with title on frame verso: 2002 TO BEECHMONT WITH STORM CLOUDS BUILDING PROVENANCE Australian Galleries, Sydney (label attached verso) Private collection, Sydney Deutscher and Hackett, Melbourne, 9 May 2007, lot 25 Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITED William Robinson: Recent Paintings, Australian Galleries, Sydney, 13 August – 7 September 2002; Melbourne, 24 September – 25 October 2002, cat. 8 (illus. in exhibition catalogue, as ‘To Beechmont with storm clouds’) ESSAY ‘...To see one of Robinson's landscapes is to be in it as well, to walk, and maybe to forage, with the painter through gum-thicketed gullies where any difference between the sky and its reflection is hard to tell- and probably unnecessary to know. The viewer is required to take a leap of faith, and execute something akin to a cartwheel, before penetrating Robinson's dizzy realms. The resulting experience is partly aesthetic, partly athletic...’1 With its multiple viewpoints and sweeping panorama of darkness and light, earth and air, To Beechmont with Storm Clouds Building, 2002 encapsulates well the highly original landscapes for which William Robinson has become so widely acclaimed and admired. Departing from predecessors such as Streeton, Drysdale and Williams who focused their attention inland or inward to urban landscapes, Robinson is unique in his devotion to an environment hitherto neglected by artists – the ancient, labyrinthine rainforests of his immediate surroundings in the coastal hinterland of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Similarly, where the Australian landscape tradition had been characterised by a strong horizontality, Robinson here deliberately eschews established figure-ground relationships and conventional one-point perspective to transform landscape into a multi-view experience – allowing every fold and fissure to be explored, yet still preserving a sense of panoramic continuity. Immortalising those elements of nature which seem eternal – from the stormy clouds, mysterious in their gauzy substance to the endless forest, teeming with life – the present work thus offers a powerful manifestation of the artist’s enduring interest in the relationship between man and the cosmos. In stark contrast to his earlier bucolic farmyard scenes and landscapes which feature the genial folk figures of Bill and Shirley, here the viewer is confronted with a dark, sombre wilderness which, within the context of the artist’s oeuvre, may well be construed metaphorically as a sign of mankind’s spiritual abandonment. Notwithstanding, Robinson vehemently asserts to the contrary – that God is in fact closest to his subject in desolation and moreover, that the artist reveals himself through his pictorial absence. Thus, for Robinson, ‘finding himself’ as a painter, appreciating the landscape and becoming closer to God are all inextricably linked. Indeed, describing the experience of walking through the forest of 2000 year old beech trees near his property at Springbrook (which he famously captured in the highly acclaimed five-panel masterpiece Creation Landscape – Darkness and Light I – V ,1988, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth), the artist poignantly evokes his visit to one of the world’s greatest pilgrimage destinations: ‘I wanted to show the presence of God somehow, not only through the mystery of walking through Chartres Cathedral and walking through this forest, but also something about the nature of providence.’2 Like the best of Robinson’s achievements, To Beechmont with Storm Clouds Building celebrates the sheer genius of creation itself with a landscape that is as grotesque as it is beautiful, terrifying as it is marvellous. Imbued with a sense of joy and wonderment, the composition pays poignant homage to the universe and its benevolent creator, rejoicing in the infinite cycles of nature and the forest as a repository for hope. 1. James, B., ‘A Landscape We Thought We Knew’, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 29 January 2003, p. 15 2. Robinson, cited in Fink, H., ‘Light Years: William Robinson and the Creation Story’, Artlink, 2001, vol. 21, no. 4 VERONICA ANGELATOS © William Robinson
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 13, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON, (1936 -), Landscape with Three Suns, 1991, etching and aquatint, ed. 1/25, 29 x 32 cm. (11.4 x 12.6 in.), frame: 54 x 56 x 3 cm. (21.2 x 22.0 x 1.1 in.)
Est: $500 - $700
WILLIAM ROBINSON (1936 - ) Landscape with Three Suns, 1991 etching and aquatint, ed. 1/25 signed and dated lower right to margin: William Robinson 199, Philip Bacon Galleries label verso
Lawsons
Nov. 13, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Springbrook Merging Towards Night 2004 etching, ed. 46/50 27 x 61cm (image); 56 x 88cm (frame)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Springbrook Merging Towards Night 2004 etching, ed. 46/50 signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 04 titled lower centre editioned lower left 27 x 61cm (image); 56 x 88cm (frame) PROVENANCE: Rex Irwin Art Gallery, Sydney Private collection, Victoria
Leonard Joel
Aug. 28, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Creation Landscape: Water and Land 1991
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
PROPERTY FORMERLY FROM THE COLLECTION OF NEIL LEVESON, MELBOURNE WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Creation Landscape: Water and Land 1991 complete set of colour lithographs (3) 56.0 x 70.0 cm (each, image); 63.0 x 77.5 cm (each, sheet); 71.5 x 84.5 cm (each, framed) edition: (i) and (iii) Bon à Tirer; (ii) Printer's Proof 1/2 (edition of 45) each signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 91 each numbered lower left each titled lower centre: Creation Landscape Water and Land printed by Neil Leveson, Melbourne published by Victorian Print Workshop, Melbourne (each with blindstamp lower right)
Menzies
Aug. 27, 2024
William Robinson, (b. 1936), Blue Pole, 2000, lithograph on paper, 61.5 x 79.5 cm
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
William Robinson (b. 1936) Blue Pole, 2000 lithograph on paper edition: 51/100, numbered, titled, signed and dated below image '51/100, Blue Pole, William Robinson, 2000'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Aug. 27, 2024
William Robinson, (b. 1936), Twin Falls, 2000, lithograph on paper, 61.5 x 79.5 cm
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
William Robinson (b. 1936) Twin Falls, 2000 lithograph on paper edition: 51/100, numbered, titled, signed and dated below image '51/100, Twin Falls, William Robinson, 2000'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Aug. 26, 2024
William Robinson, (1936 -), Study of Trees, 1998, Coloured Pencil and Wash on Paper, 31.5 x 22cm, Frame: 53 x 42cm
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
William Robinson (1936 - ) Study of Trees, 1998 Coloured Pencil and Wash on Paper signed, titled and dated lower right William Robinson 98/ Study of Trees.
Bargain Hunt Auctions
Aug. 21, 2024
§ WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Goomoolahra Creek 2000 pastel on paper 56 x 75 cm
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
§ WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Goomoolahra Creek 2000 pastel on paper signed, dated and inscribed 'Goomoolahra Creek / William Robinson / 2000' lower left 56 x 75 cm PROVENANCE William Robinson, Queensland Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney Raymond Kidd and Diana Kidd, Sydney, acquired from the above in May 2000 Fine Asian, Australian & European Arts & Design, Smith & Singer (trading as Sotheby's Australia), Sydney, 19 July 2016, lot 105, illustrated Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, 2000 William Robinson: The Revelation of Landscape, S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney, 11 January - 2 March 2003; Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Mornington, 1 April – 18 May 2000, illustrated
Smith & Singer
Aug. 15, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON, (1936 -), Landscape with Three Suns, 1991, etching and aquatint, ed. 1/25, 29 x 32 cm. (11.4 x 12.6 in.), frame: 54 x 56 x 3 cm. (21.2 x 22.0 x 1.1 in.)
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
WILLIAM ROBINSON (1936 - ) Landscape with Three Suns, 1991 etching and aquatint, ed. 1/25 signed and dated lower right
Lawsons
Jul. 31, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON, (1936 -), Study of Trees, 1998, coloured pencil and wash, 31.5 x 22 cm. (12.4 x 8.6 in.), frame: 53 x 42 x 3 cm. (20.8 x 16.5 x 1.1 in.)
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (1936 -) Study of Trees, 1998 coloured pencil and wash signed, titled and dated lower margins
Lawsons
Jun. 30, 2024
William Robinson California Painting Eucalyptus Trees 1935
Est: $400 - $600
William Robinson California Painting Eucalyptus Trees 1935. Signed. Excellent condition. 8"h x 10"w. Frame 11 3/8"h x 13.5"w. Spend $7500 or more at our two day auction and all of your SHIPPING IS FREE within the lower 48 states. SHIPPING We box and ship ourselves, to keep shipping costs low. We do not use a packaging service, unless the customer prefers us to use them. We can ship either USPS or Fed Ex Ground. We deliver most larger pieces ourselves on the west coast and we make a loop around the US within approximately 60 days after the auction. No matter where you live in the lower 48 states, we look forward to personally meeting you and delivering larger pieces directly to your house. Most larger pieces can be hand delivered for $500-$600 almost anywhere in the lower 48 states. For estimated shipping times of larger pieces, please call or email us before you bid.
California Historical Design, Inc
Jun. 25, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Sunlight and Shadow, Goomoolahra 2001 pastel on paper 53.5 x 74cm
Est: $18,000 - $24,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Sunlight and Shadow, Goomoolahra 2001 pastel on paper signed, titled and dated lower right: William Robinson 2001/ Sunlight + Shadow Goomoolahra 53.5 x 74cm PROVENANCE: Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Heiser Gallery, Brisbane (label verso) Private collection, Perth EXHIBITIONS: William Robinson, Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, 16 June - 14 July 2001, cat. no. 23
Leonard Joel
May. 21, 2024
William Robinson, (b. 1936), Siamese Cats, c. 1969, pastel on paper, 44 x 64 cm
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
William Robinson (b. 1936) Siamese Cats, c. 1969 pastel on paper titled and signed l.r.c. 'Siamese Cats, William Robinson'
Shapiro Auctioneers
May. 21, 2024
William Robinson, (b. 1936), Bright Day, Tallanbanna, 2000, pastel on paper, 54.5 x 74.5 cm
Est: $18,000 - $26,000
William Robinson (b. 1936) Bright Day, Tallanbanna, 2000 pastel on paper titled, signed and dated l.l.c. 'Bright Day Tallanbanna, William Robinson, 2000'
Shapiro Auctioneers
May. 20, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Josephine charcoal on paper, diptych 102.5 x 131cm
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Josephine charcoal on paper, diptych signed lower centre: William Robinson 102.5 x 131cm PROVENANCE: Sotheby's, Sydney, 15 August 2000, lot 135 Art Galleries Schubert, Queensland Private collection, Sydney Lawsons~Menzies, Sydney, 2 May 2007, lot 530 Private collection, Sydney Lawsons~Menzies, Sydney, 19 June 2008, lot 232 Private collection, Melbourne Menzies, Melbourne, 20 June 2012, lot 10 Private collection, Melbourne Menzies, Sydney, 24 September 2014, lot 231 Company collection, Melbourne Menzies, Melbourne, 10 August 2017, lot 26 Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: RELATED WORK: William Robinson, William with Josephine, oil on canvas,122 x 184cm, Sotheby's, Melbourne, 24 November 2008, lot 7 The title 'Josephine' refers to William Robinson's cow who was named Josephine; an animal often appearing in his work. Robinson developed his own unique perspective on the landscape. A comparison can be drawn between his animal farmyard scenes and the still life genre, through the artist's placement of his subject matter; each animal (cow, chicken and goat) is arranged and meticulously placed across the surface of the artwork. Movement of these farm animals is captured through the placement of his subject matter along the edges of his artwork - often cropped and half visible - so they appear as if they are coming out, or walking across the artwork. Courtesy The Artist
Leonard Joel
Apr. 17, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Nimbin Rocks with Distant Storm 2003 oil on canvas 122 x 183 cm
Est: $200,000 - $300,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Nimbin Rocks with Distant Storm 2003 oil on canvas signed and dated 'William Robinson 2003' lower left 122 x 183 cm PROVENANCE William Robinson, Queensland Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Private Collection, United States of America, acquired from the above on 23 November 2023 EXHIBITED Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, July 2003
Smith & Singer
Mar. 27, 2024
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Bright Sea 2007
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION, SYDNEY WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Bright Sea 2007 oil on linen 52.0 x 77.0 cm; 73.5 x 96.0 cm (framed) signed and dated lower left: William Robinson '07
Menzies
Nov. 29, 2023
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Angels and Devils 1993
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Angels and Devils 1993 hand painted and glazed stoneware 62.0 x 37.0 x 18.0 cm signed and dated to front: William Robinson/ 93 inscribed to rear: ERROL BARNES inscribed to underside: ANGELS AND DEVILS
Menzies
Nov. 20, 2023
William Robinson (b.1936) Bill on Horseback with Shirley
Est: $15,000 - $20,000
hand painted and glazed stoneware bowl, wheel thrown by Errol Barnes inscribed Errol Barnes to base, signed to body William Robinson
Shapiro Auctioneers
Oct. 24, 2023
§ WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Springbrook Waterfall pastel on paper 56.5 x 76cm
Est: $16,000 - $20,000
§ WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Springbrook Waterfall pastel on paper signed lower right: William Robinson titled on Philip Bacon Galleries label verso 56.5 x 76cm PROVENANCE: Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney Private collection, Queensland Lawson~Menzies, Sydney, 19 March 2008, lot 251 Private collection, Melbourne Menzies, Sydney, 21 March 2013, lot 92 Private collection, Melbourne
Leonard Joel
Jun. 28, 2023
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Five Peaches 2013
Est: $18,000 - $25,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Five Peaches 2013 oil on linen 31.0 x 33.5 cm signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 2013 bears inscription verso: FIVE PEACHES
Menzies
Apr. 20, 2023
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Dogs and Geese 1990 etching, ed. P/P 3/3
Est: $400 - $600
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Dogs and Geese 1990 etching, ed. P/P 3/3 signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 90 titled lower centre editioned lower left 29.5 x 32.5cm PROVENANCE: Neil Leveson, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: PLEASE NOTE THIS WORK IS UNFRAMED.
Leonard Joel
Apr. 20, 2023
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Gorilla 1990 lithograph, ed. P/P 1/2
Est: $400 - $600
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Gorilla 1990 lithograph, ed. P/P 1/2 signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 90 titled lower centre editioned lower left 76 x 56.5cm (sheet) PROVENANCE: Neil Leveson, Melbourne Thence by descent Private collection, Melbourne OTHER NOTES: PLEASE NOTE THIS WORK IS UNFRAMED.
Leonard Joel
Dec. 13, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON, GRANDPOP AND CHILDREN POT, 1997
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 GRANDPOP AND CHILDREN POT, 1997 hand painted and glazed stoneware 19.0 x 68.0 x 47.5 cm signed and dated at side edge: William Robinson 97 inscribed with title verso: GRANDPOP / AND / CHILDREN / POT PROVENANCE Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney The Laverty Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 1997 EXHIBITED Ceramics, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, 7 March – 9 April 1997, cat. 64 This work is located in our Melbourne Gallery
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 16, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Morning Sun with Flood Gums and Web 1991 oil on canvas
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Morning Sun with Flood Gums and Web 1991 oil on canvas signed and dated 'William Robinson 91' lower right; inscribed 'Morning Sun With Flood Gums And Web' verso 40.5 x 48.5 cm PROVENANCE William Robinson, Queensland Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above Private Collection, Sydney, by descent from the above Important Australian Art, Sotheby's Australia (now trading as Smith & Singer), Sydney, 20 November 2019, lot 42, illustrated Private Collection, Sydney, acquired from the above
Smith & Singer
Oct. 12, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Creation Landscape: Water and Land 1991
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Creation Landscape: Water and Land 1991 complete set of colour lithographs (3) 56.0 x 70.0 cm (each, image); 63.0 x 77.5 cm (each, sheet) edition: Printer's Proof 2/2 (edition of 45) each signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 91 each numbered lower left: Printer's Proof 2/2 each titled lower centre: Creation Landscape Water and Land printed by Neil Leveson, Melbourne published by Victorian Print Workshop, Melbourne (each blindstamp lower right)
Menzies
Oct. 12, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Farmyard I 1990
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Farmyard I 1990 lithograph 43.0 x 62.0 cm (image); 56.0 x 76.0 cm (sheet) edition: Bon à Tirer (edition size unknown) signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 90 numbered lower left: Bon à Tirer titled lower centre: Farmyard I printed by Neil Leveson, Melbourne published by Victorian Print Workshop, Melbourne (blindstamp lower right)
Menzies
Sep. 13, 2022
William Robinson (b. 1936)
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Dining Room, c. 1970 pastel on paper, signed l.r.c. 'William Robinson'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Jun. 28, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) A Small Study of Sunlight 1998 oil on canvas
Est: $28,000 - $35,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) A Small Study of Sunlight 1998 oil on canvas signed and dated lower left: William Robinson 98 title and date inscribed on backing verso 30 x 40cm PROVENANCE: Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney Private collection, Melbourne EXHIBITIONS: Sol: A Summer Survey Gallery Artists, Tim Olsen Gallery, Sydney, 18 December - 27 January 2013 Melbourne Art Fair, Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney, 4-8 August 2010 OTHER NOTES: William Robinson has lived across diverse landscapes of the eastern coast of Australia, including Birkdale, Beechmont, Springbrook and Kingscliff. Across most of these locations, Robinson has been immersed within dense rainforest environments which is pivotal to his artistic practice. "I did not paint these works as a visitor to the landscape, but as one who lived in it and experienced it every day."(1) Robinson's landscapes are set apart from his counterparts, largely because of his unique perspective. His richly detailed paintings depict the landscape from multiple perspectives simultaneously. It is shown to us through a series of inversions, where the sky becomes the ground and the ground the sky. Aside from his belief that his landscapes would need to present a different approach to the Australian terrain, he acknowledges through this multi-point perspective that the landscape is constantly moving around you. The clouds, the leaves, and sun, are always shifting and you are within it. "Living in the country everything moves-the seasons, the clouds, nothing is set. There are things behind you, all around you and you are in it. … You begin to realise that you are in a landscape that is really the crust of the earth. It is air and ground. We're all just spinning through space. There is something about the painting that is indefinite, not solid." (2) William Robinson's landscapes are delicately interwoven strokes of impasto paint work, with rich colour palettes to bring to life the intricacies and deep beauty of the landscape. Every leaf is rendered with the same deliberate attention to detail as the sky or towering tree trunks. These little details are what interlace to form the complex Australian landscape that Robinson is so recognised for representing. Across each of Robinson's homes he has always maintained the experience of being in nature. His works have the ability to transport us to and within the landscape so that we feel we are within it, its branches enveloping us and the sunlight radiating within us. Perhaps it is this transportative quality that has honoured Robinson with being the only living Australian artist to have a public gallery in his name, and why his paintings continue to captivate collectors and critics alike. Olivia Fuller | Head of Art (1) Klepac, L., William Robinson: Paintings 1987-2000, Sydney, The Beagle Press, 2001, p.40 (2) Hart, D., William Robinson: The Transfigured Landscape, Queensland University of Technology and Piper Press, Brisbane, 2011, p.33
Leonard Joel
Jun. 28, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Five Peaches 2013 oil on linen
Est: $25,000 - $30,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Five Peaches 2013 oil on linen signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 2013 titled on gallery label verso 31 x 36cm PROVENANCE: Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane (label verso) Private collection, New South Wales EXHIBITIONS: Eternal Present: The Still Life Paintings of William Robinson, William Robinson Gallery, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 14 July 2017 - 25 June 2018 OTHER NOTES: "Robinson's approach to still life acknowledges both the 'civilised' nature of the genre and the simple integrity of the object. He pays a discreet homage to the artists he admires, and shows respect for the humble items he has gathered from many sources. He has not attempted any radical stylistic departures, being content to work from close observation, arranging his subjects in a manner that permits endless variations. The aim is not to break new ground but to dig ever more deeply into a well-worked quarry, uncovering motifs and relationships that are only available to those artists who understand that inspiration is perfectly compatible with the most patient investigation." (1) (1) John McDonald McDonald, J., Eternal Present, The Stille Life Paintings of William Robinson, William Robinson Gallery, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 2017, p. 57
Leonard Joel
May. 22, 2022
ROBINSON William Francis (Bill) (b.1936), 'My Garden,' 1976., Pastel, 75x54cm
Est: $3,500 - $7,000
ROBINSON, William Francis (Bill) (b.1936) 'My Garden,' 1976. Signed & dated lower left. Inscribed verso: My Garden by Wm Robinson - 1976 / Mrs Robinson With Family Dog in their Garden. Provenance: Deutscher-Menzies, Melbourne, 1st March 2002 (lot 81); Ian Cameron Collection, Sydney; thence by descent. Pastel 75x54cm
Davidson Auctions
May. 04, 2022
WILLIAM ROBINSON, SUNSHOWERS AND FLOOD GUMS, 1993
Est: $250,000 - $350,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 SUNSHOWERS AND FLOOD GUMS, 1993 oil on canvas 137.0 x 182.5 cm signed and dated lower left: William Robinson 93 inscribed with title verso: SUNSHOWERS AND FLOOD GUMS PROVENANCE Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney Laverty collection, Sydney, acquired from the above in 1994 EXHIBITED William Robinson, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, 3 – 28 September 1994, cat. 17 Spirit and Place – Art in Australia 1861 – 1996, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, 21 November 1996 – 31 March 1997 (illus. in exhibition catalogue, p. 52) The Colin and Elizabeth Laverty Collection, Geelong Gallery, Victoria, 18 February – 15 April 2012 LITERATURE ‘William Robinson’s Mature Perspective’, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney, 10 September 1994, p. 34 (illus.) Klepac, L., William Robinson, Paintings 1987 – 2000, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 2001, pl. 101, pp. 100 - 101 (illus., as ‘Sunshowers and Flooded Gums’), 202 ESSAY ‘In relation to a sense of place, William Robinson has made a unique contribution to the Australian landscape tradition, moving beyond conventional notions to encompass a fluctuating environment; of rainforest and ocean, ground and sky, day and night, elemental forces of wind, lightning, rain and fire. His multidimensional grasp of time and space also suggests metaphors for states of mind and being, life and death, continuity and transcendence. The profound spiritual resonances in Robinson’s art remind us of the need to preserve an ancient natural world in the present; ‘to keep the faith’, as Simon Schama wrote in Landscape and Memory, ‘with a future on this tough, lovely old planet’’.1 Robinson’s treatment of the horizon and distorted perspective set him apart from his contemporaries. While many Australian landscape painters traditionally looked towards the arid interior for inspiration, he embraces the lush south- eastern Queensland mountain ranges. The dramatic features of the granite belt, with its soaring cliffs, meandering rivers, creeks and waterfalls, offer the perfect subject for Robinson to flaunt his painterly innovations. The steep ravines, high annual rainfall and proximity to the coast combine to provide dramatic weather shifts, which Robinson exploits wilfully. As the title of Sunshowers and Floodgums, 1993 suggests, it is the ephemeral beauty of this landscape which captivates the artist. He gives equal weight to the physical grandeur of the ancient forms, as he does to the intangible elements of light, mist, mood and atmosphere. In the act of painting there is a tipping point where the image takes over and a seamless synergy occurs between the artist, their materials and subject. The artist becomes the vehicle for the work and almost takes a backseat as the painting evolves in inspired revelation. Artists sometimes refer to a work as ‘painting itself’ when describing this shaman-like relationship between the artist and subject. Robinson arrives at this point early and you can feel the urgency his works attain as they reach toward a higher state of observation and translation. Each new painting builds on the achievements of the previous one as he pushes the boundaries of his artistic abilities and the conventions of landscape painting. This state of oneness with his work is achieved by continuous immersion in the act of creation and Robinson typically works every day, all day – except Sundays. God rested on the Sabbath and so does Robinson, reserving this day for reflection and music in humble observance of the Maker’s achievements. The artist is a deeply spiritual man, and his paintings are to be viewed as a personal homage to the creator. The current example conveys this more than others, with the central focus of painting being towards the sun-dappled blue skies streaming through the towering floodgums. Like the Renaissance masters Robinson so much admires, he looks to the heavens for the essence of his inspiration. 1. Hart, D., ‘William Robinson’s artistic development: An intimate and expansive journey’ in William Robinson, A Transfigured Landscape, Queensland University of Technology and Piper Press, Brisbane, 2011, p. 38 HENRY MULHOLLAND
Deutscher and Hackett
Apr. 30, 2022
William T. Robinson, MA (1852-1934)
Est: $300 - $500
William T. Robinson, MA (1852-1934), Oil on board of a Venetian water scene, signed "W.T. Robinson 1920" lower right, set in a newer gilt frame, 10" tall x 16" wide, good condition.
The Cobbs
Dec. 05, 2021
ROBINSON William Francis (Bill) (b.1936) (2), Two Seated Nude Etchings, Etching with Aquatint 3/5 & 5/5, 12.5x9.5cm (plate) (each)
Est: $250 - $400
ROBINSON, William Francis (Bill) (b.1936) (2) Two Seated Nude Etchings Etching with Aquatint 3/5 & 5/5 12.5x9.5cm (plate) (each)
Davidson Auctions
Dec. 05, 2021
ROBINSON William Francis (Bill) (b.1936), 'Chooks', Aquatint Etching 5/5, 15x10cm (plate) 29x27cm (sheet)
Est: $200 - $400
ROBINSON, William Francis (Bill) (b.1936) 'Chooks' Aquatint Etching 5/5 15x10cm (plate) 29x27cm (sheet)
Davidson Auctions
Dec. 05, 2021
ROBINSON William Francis (Bill) (b.1936), Chook House, Etching 10/10, 20x25cm (plate) 35x37.5cm (sheet)
Est: $300 - $500
ROBINSON, William Francis (Bill) (b.1936) Chook House Etching 10/10 20x25cm (plate) 35x37.5cm (sheet)
Davidson Auctions
Nov. 17, 2021
William Robinson (born 1936) Muscleman and Life Buoy, 1996 28.5 x 68.0cm (11 1/4 x 26 3/4in). (irreg.)
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
William Robinson (born 1936) Muscleman and Life Buoy, 1996 signed, titled and dated on base: 'William Robinson 96 / MUSCLEMAN AND LIFE BUOY / POT. / ERROL BARNES' glazed stoneware, wheel thrown by Errol Barnes 28.5 x 68.0cm (11 1/4 x 26 3/4in). (irreg.) For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Bonhams
Oct. 03, 2021
William Robinson (born 1936),
Est: $600 - $800
Sunset with Diver and Bathers, 1990 lithograph 29/85 editioned, titled, signed and dated lower margin 42cm x 61cm
Aalders Auctions
Sep. 21, 2021
WILLIAM ROBINSON (b. 1936) Female Seated Nude pencil on paper
Est: $800 - $1,200
WILLIAM ROBINSON (b. 1936) Female Seated Nude pencil on paper signed lower right: William Robinson 44 x 37cm (67 x 59.5cm framed)
Leonard Joel
Jul. 28, 2021
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Sunset with Divers and Bathers 1990 lithograph ed. 85/85
Est: $600 - $800
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Sunset with Divers and Bathers 1990 lithograph ed. 85/85 editioned, titled, signed and dated in pencil below image 42 x 62cm OTHER NOTES: Another example of this print is held in the Collection of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, (another example).
Leonard Joel
May. 25, 2021
William Robinson (b. 1936)
Est: $90,000 - $120,000
Darkening Rainforest, 2003 oil on belgian linen, signed and dated l.r.c. 'William Robinson, 2003'
Shapiro Auctioneers
Apr. 21, 2021
WILLIAM ROBINSON, POSSUM MOON LANDSCAPE, c.1989
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 POSSUM MOON LANDSCAPE, c.1989 oil on canvas 56.5 x 66.0 cm signed lower left: William Robinson inscribed with title verso: POSSUM MOON LANDSCAPE PROVENANCE Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney Private collection, New South Wales, acquired from the above, c.1996 ESSAY When Possum Moon Landscape was painted, Bill and Shirley Robinson were living on two hundred acres of bush, rainforest and cliffs at Beechmont in southern Queensland, where they had moved to in 1984. The works from around this time can be viewed as autobiographical vignettes often containing playful anecdotes about Bill and Shirley’s life on the farm. By the time Robinson had painted this delightful example he had won his first of two Archibald Prize awards for portraiture, and was on the cusp of winning the first of two Wynne Prizes for landscape painting. He had retired from teaching to work full time on his painting and his regular exhibitions at Ray Hughes Gallery were consistently sell out shows. This, along with the broad critical support the artist enjoyed ensured that by 1989, Robinson’s career was on the ascendancy. While Robinson took his approach to the Australian landscape very seriously, he often found room for pockets of humour which, in some ways, defuse the seriousness intent of the works. In the current example we see Bill and Shirley rounding up a few stray cows that appear to have found their way into the property dam. Images of dams and waterholes played an important role in the development of his landscape painting. They first appeared in the ‘farmyard paintings’ and via the reflection of the surrounding animals, trees and clouds, the water became the pictorial device that allowed Robinson to break with convention and move the horizontal horizon line to any part of the picture he chose. Bill and Shirley took great delight in their lives as hobby farmers the images Robinson created of their life on the farm have an Adam and Eve quality, perhaps because there are only ever the two of them depicted in these works. Possum Moon Landscape was painted at the time Robinson was beginning to expand his ideas around distorting the plane. In this classic example, we can see the evening sky drawn down deep into the picture. Robinson describes the origins of this development… To look up and down almost at the same time; to have a feeling of time; the beginning and movement of day and night and be aware of the revolving planet may revealed in the same work. I did not paint these works as a visitor to the landscape, but as one who lived in it and experiences it every day. The boundaries of my pictures were almost solely the boundaries and close neighbourhood of our farm.1 Late evening is suggested by Bill holding his kerosene lamp with its halo of light echoing the crescent moon setting low in the west. And what of the Possum which features so prominently in the title of the work? It makes the most minor cameo appearance in the upper right of the work near Bill, Shirley and the cows. The mention of possum points to Robinson’s arial views, suggesting that perhaps we are viewing the landscape from high in the trees looking downward as the possum does. So while the image of the possum is tiny, its importance to the work is overarching. 1.Robinson, W., quoted in Klepac, L., William Robinson: Paintings 1987 – 2000, The Beagle Press, Sydney, 2001, p. 40 HENRY MULHOLLAND
Deutscher and Hackett
Mar. 31, 2021
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936, Bright Day, Tallanbanna, 2000
Est: $18,000 - $24,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 Bright Day, Tallanbanna 2000 pastel on paper 54.5 x 74.5 cm signed, dated and inscribed lower left: Bright Day Tallanbanna/ William Robinson 2000
Menzies
Dec. 17, 2020
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Bushfire 1998 lithograph 71/75
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Bushfire 1998 lithograph 71/75 editioned, titled, signed, and dated below image 27 x 39cm, frame size: 71 x 75.5cm
Leonard Joel
Nov. 30, 2020
William Robinson (1936- ) Australia - Manly
Est: $10,000 - $12,000
William Robinson (1936- ) Australia - Manly
Colville Auctions
Nov. 19, 2020
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 The Sacred Rock, Carnarvon 2006
Est: $250,000 - $350,000
WILLIAM ROBINSON born 1936 The Sacred Rock, Carnarvon 2006 oil on linen 122.0 x 183.0 cm signed and dated lower right: William Robinson 2006 inscribed verso: THE SACRED ROCK CARNARVON
Menzies
Nov. 18, 2020
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Bushfire 1998 lithograph 71/75
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
WILLIAM ROBINSON (born 1936) Bushfire 1998 lithograph 71/75 editioned, titled, signed, and dated below image 27 x 39cm, frame size: 71 x 75.5cm
Leonard Joel