“Purrumbete from across the Lake” by Eugene von Guerard

“Purrumbete from across the Lake” by Eugene von Guerard was one of his earliest Australian homestead paintings. This painting from 1858, depicts a sheep and cattle station on Lake Purrumbete, in the western part of the state of Victoria.

By the early 1860s, the artist, von Guerard was recognized as the foremost landscape artist in the Australian colonies, touring Southeast Australia and New Zealand in pursuit of the picturesque.

He is most known for the wilderness paintings, which are remarkable for their shadowy lighting and meticulous detail. The scientific accuracy of his landscapes was influenced by the environmental theories of nature painting set by the Düsseldorf Academy, where he was trained.

Eugene von Guerard

Johann Joseph Eugene von Guérard (1811 – 1901) was an Austrian-born artist, known for his finely detailed landscapes in the tradition of the Düsseldorf school of painting.

Von Guerard arrived in Victoria, Australia, in 1852 to try his luck on the Victorian goldfields.

As a gold-digger, he was unsuccessful, but he realized that there were opportunities for an artist in Australia, so he abandoned the diggings and was soon undertaking commissions recording the dwellings and properties of wealthy pastoralists.

By the early 1860s, von Guerard was the foremost landscape artist in the colonies, touring Southeast Australia and New Zealand in pursuit of the sublime and the picturesque.

He is most known for his wilderness paintings, which are remarkable for their lighting and exact detail.

In 1870 von Guerard was appointed the first Master of the School of Painting at the National Gallery of Victoria, where he was to influence the training of artists for the next 11 years.

Amongst his pupils were Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts. When Von Guerard retired, he departed for Europe in 1882.

Eleven years later, he lost his investments in the Australian bank crash, and he lived in poverty until his death in Chelsea, London, in 1901.

Lake Purrumbete

Lake Purrumbete is a volcanic lake in the Western District of Victoria, Australia. The lake is in a shallow, low-relief volcanic crater. The water is crystal clear most times of the year as the lake relies entirely on its catchment.

Lake Purrumbete originated about 20,000 years ago and is 45 m deep with a diameter of 2.5 km. It was caused by a volcanic eruption when flowing lava came in contact with groundwater.

Purrumbete from across the Lake

Title: Purrumbete from across the Lake
Artist: Eugene von Guerard
Year: 1858
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: H: 510 mm (20.08 in); W: 855 mm (33.66 in).
Museum: National Gallery of Australia

Eugene von Guerard

Artist: Eugene von Guerard
Born: 1811 – Vienna, Austria
Died: 1901 (aged 89) – Chelsea, London, England
Major Paintings:
- Govett’s Leap
- Tea Trees near Schanck, Victoria
- Mount Kosciusko, seen from the Victorian Border
- Mr. Clark’s Station, Deep Creek, near Keilor
- Purrumbete from across the Lake

Eugene von Guérard ‘Purrumbete from across the lake’ 1858

Eugene von Guérard

Colonial Gallery – Eugene Von Guerard

A Tour of the National Gallery of Australia

“The Green Parasol” by E. Phillips Fox
“Landscape, Antibes (The Bay of Nice)” by John Peter Russell
“Bridge and Wattle at Warrandyte” by Penleigh Boyd
“Child in The Bush” by Frederick McCubbin
“Miss Minna Simpson” by Tom Roberts
“From McMahon’s Point – fare one penny” by Arthur Streeton
“The Spirit of the Drought” by Arthur Streeton
“Hot Wind” by Charles Conder
“Purrumbete from across the Lake” by Eugene von Guerard
Convict artist Richard Browne’s Watercolors
“Govett’s Leap” by Eugene von Guerard
“Pastorale” by Rupert Bunny
“Meules, milieu du jour” by Claude Monet

Explore Museums in Australia

Museums in Sydney
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Australian Museum
- Australian National Maritime Museum
- Museum of Sydney
- Powerhouse Museum
- Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney
- Nicholson Museum
- Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum
- Museum of Fire

Museums in Melbourne
- National Gallery of Victoria
- Melbourne Museum
- Shrine of Remembrance
- Hellenic Museum, Melbourne
- State Library of Victoria
- National Sports Museum
- Old Treasury Building, Melbourne
- Old Melbourne Gaol
- Chinese Museum, Melbourne
- Jewish Museum of Australia

Museums in Canberra
- National Museum of Australia
- National Gallery of Australia
- Australian War Memorial
- National Portrait Gallery

Museums in Brisbane
- Queensland Art Gallery
- Queensland Museum & Science Centre
- MacArthur Museum Brisbane
- RD Milns Antiquities Museum
- Queensland Maritime Museum
- Commissariat Store, Brisbane
- Queensland Police Museum