S. T. Gill

Reverend George Fairfowl-McArthur; thence by descent
Miss Macarthur Brown
Clune Galleries, Sydney
James O Fairfax AO; purchased from the above in 1970

Thirty Victoria Street, Sydney, on loan, 1970s (label on reverse)
Converting the Wilderness: The Art of Gardening in Colonial Australia, Australian Tour, October 1979 - June 1980, cat. 61
Clyde Bank, Sydney, on loan, 1990s (label on reverse)

Converting the Wilderness: The Art of Gardening in Colonial Australia, The Australian Gallery Director's Council, Sydney, 1979, p. 47, pl. 61

The colours of this work have generally faded. It appears this work has been restored in the past, there is evidence of a repaired tear to the paper approximately 8cm in length (upper left). There appear to be several foxing removal marks to the sky and foreground. This work is laid down.
"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."

Having previously had some commercial success with his townscapes of Adelaide and Melbourne, when S.T. Gill moved to Sydney in 1856 he immediately set to work on a series of local views, published initially in parts as Scenery in and around Sydney and later as the 24 lithographs of Sydney Illustrated. While these prints focussed on inner city streets and churches, there were plenty of other potential locations (and clients) close by. Two of the most impressive landmarks of Darling Point at that time were the first church east of St James's, Edmund Blacket's St Mark's (completed 1852) and its adjacent parsonage, a handsome gothic villa, also designed by Blacket.¹

Gill made pencil drawings of both buildings, and of the view looking towards the ensemble along Darling Point road.²  The latter he worked up into the present watercolour, which was formerly owned (and possibly commissioned) by Rev. George Fairfowl McArthur, third incumbent of the parish (1851-1859) and builder of both church and parsonage.

A view of St Mark's... is a very fine example of Gill's urban Picturesque, with its combination of topographical, architectural, botanical and human interest. Geoffrey Dutton has written: 'As usual, one has to look for the details of these and other Sydney pictures in order to find Gill's true genius at work. For instance, the very fine watercolour "View of St Mark's in Darling Point Road 1857" certainly does what it claims, and gives a good view of some interesting buildings. But the true quality of the painting is in the group in the foreground by the fence, particularly the boy with the bat and ball, and the relationships, spatial and personal, between the figures.'³

The inclusion of boys and their toys (the watercolour shows a kite as well as the cricket bats and ball, and the original drawing featured a lad with a hoop) may be a conscious acknowledgement of the pedagogical interests of the patron. As early as 1856, McArthur had 12 boys enrolled at 'St Mark's Collegiate School.' The school later moved to Macquarie Fields and later still became the King's School, under McArthur's headmastership.

We are most grateful to Elizabeth Ellis for her assistance in cataloguing this work.

1.  For the full account of the church and parsonage architecture, see Horace Barder, Wherein thine honour dwells: the story of St Mark's parish Church, Darling Point, NSW, Sydney: DS Ford, 1948
2.  St Mark's Church (interior); St Mark's parsonage; St Mark's Church and Darling Point, all 1857, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
3.  Geoffrey Dutton, S.T. Gill's Australia, Melbourne: Macmillan, 1981, p. 43