ETHEL CARRICK FOX

Probably Leonard Joel's, Melbourne, 2 November 1983, lot 823
Tom Silver Fine Art, Melbourne
The estate of a private collector, Melbourne; purchased from the above circa 1985

Exhibition of Paintings by Ethel Carrick, The New Gallery, Sydney, June 1925, cat. 8
Oil Paintings by the Late E. Philips Fox and Ethel Carrick, Anthony Horden & Sons Ltd, Sydney, 1 - 15 October 1925, cat. 78

Good condition. Some surface dirt. UV inspection reveals a spot top left hand corner, an area of retouching upper left and several small areas of retouching upper centre.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The career and reputation of Ethel Carrick Fox is entwined with that of her husband, Emanuel Phillips Fox.  The two young artists met at the artists' colony at St. Ives, Cornwall and were married in May 1905.  While many of Carrick Fox's paintings show the influence of her husband's impressionism, many of her paintings show more of a post-impressionist style in their flat design and bright colours.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence depicts a cluttered scene of the gentle life of the affluent bourgeois tourist in Italy.  In the foreground men, women and children stroll along the walkways along the Arno while behind them, the city and the old bridge shimmer with light and colour.  Carrick Fox captures the boisterous and vigorous tourist experience of the new leisured middle class.  As with the French Impressionists, her swift brushstrokes give the impression of a moment caught.  The light and colour in the green, orange, yellow and pink across the bridge and water are carefully studied.

After Phillips Fox's death in 1915, Carrick Fox continued to travel regularly between Europe and Australia and remained friends with many women artists, including Lina Bryans, Jean Sutherland and Violet Teague.¹  She also began her own art school in Paris for Australian and American students.  Carrick Fox was amongst those Australian women who sought to establish themselves in Paris and London through a series of group exhibitions of Australian artists in Europe in 1920s.  She also exhibited extensively at the Royal Academy, the Salon d'Automne and the Societé Nationale des Beaux-Arts (the New Salon) throughout the early decades of the 20th century.

1. Margaret Rich, 'An Introduction to this Exhibition', Ethel Carrick (Mrs E. Phillips Fox) Retrospective Exhibition, Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council, 1979