Elioth Gruner
Let's move to Australia!
Elioth Gruner was an Australian artist, known for his Impressionist landscapes and his ability to capture the ephemeral effects of light. Driven by a deep desire to redefine landscape painting, Gruner ventured to Emu Plains (a suburb of Sydney), where he created some of his most famous depictions of morning light. Often hailed as "the last of the Australian Impressionists," he painted directly from nature, although the grand scale and theatrical compositions of his paintings suggest that Gruner may have refined certain elements in the studio. His early works reflected a nostalgic reverence for the Heidelberg School and Arthur Streeton, yet his artistic approach evolved under the influence of Max Meldrum, a Melbourne-based painter and theorist who emphasized the primacy of tone in painting. Inspired by this philosophy, Gruner began experimenting with technique, particularly painting into the light—capturing the intense clarity of winter dawns, where forms became dark silhouettes illuminated from behind.
I like these cows very much.
P.S. If this is the first time you heard about the Impressionists from Australia, it's time to change that! Here are 5 things you need to know about Australian Impressionism!
P.P.S. If you'd like to learn the basics of Impressionism (but just enough to feel good in a museum or at a cocktail party), check out our French Impressionism The Basic Course. :)