Art. Herrick’s Blossoms: A Celebration of Spring Through Art

Charles Conder’s “Herrick’s Blossoms” (1888) is a remarkable yet underrated painting that captures the spirit of spring art with its delicate depiction of blossoming nature. Painted as part of the iconic 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, this work reflects the innovative artistry of Australian Impressionists who sought to immortalize fleeting moments of color and light.

On Saturday, August 17, 1889, Melbourne’s Buxton’s Art Gallery hosted the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, a groundbreaking event in Australian art history. Organized by a talented group of artists including Charles Conder, Frederick McCubbin, Tom Roberts, and Arthur Streeton, the exhibition showcased 182 works predominantly painted on nine by five-inch cedar cigar box lids. The artists’ goal was to depict transient moods of nature with immediacy and authenticity.

The gallery itself became a visual and sensory feast, decorated with silk draperies, Japanese umbrellas, and vases filled with spring blossoms such as roses, violets, jonquils, and daphne. This immersive setting emphasized the connection between art and the ephemeral beauty of the natural world.

Another famous painting from 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, La Favorita. 

Painting the Poetry of Spring

Among the highlights was Charles Conder’s “Herrick’s Blossoms”, inspired by Robert Herrick’s poem, To Blossoms. Conder’s brushwork evokes the early days of spring, when vibrant blossoms emerge amidst the subdued tones of winter. The painting captures this transitional moment with soft pinks and greens, symbolizing renewal and growth.

To bring a touch of romance and humanity, Conder added two small figures: a man kneeling before a woman, creating a tender narrative against the blossoming landscape. His energetic and sparse brushstrokes convey not only the beauty of the season but also its fleeting, poetic quality.

Conder, Streeton, and Roberts shared a deep interest in fresh colors and dynamic brushwork, aligning them with French Impressionists like Monet and Pissarro. They embraced painting en plein air, observing the interplay of light and atmosphere in natural settings. However, their use of small panels set them apart from the grand canvases of their French counterparts.

In their adoption of poetic and musical titles, their focus on nature’s moods, and their preference for intimate formats, they were influenced by the British artist James McNeill Whistler. Whistler’s evocative sketches, displayed in his celebrated Notes – Harmonies – Nocturnes exhibition, deeply inspired the group. Tom Roberts, the driving force behind the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, had seen Whistler’s work in London in 1884 and brought back a passion for rapid, outdoor impressions and Whistler’s aesthetic ideals.

The Innovation of the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition

The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition received mixed reviews, with some critics dismissing the works as “slap-dash” studies and others praising their refined simplicity. Regardless of the controversy, the exhibition was a success, with the paintings selling well and cementing the group’s reputation as pioneers of Australian Impressionism.

Conder’s Herrick’s Blossoms stood alongside other remarkable works such as Streeton’s Hoddle St., 10 p.m., which depicted the quiet atmosphere of a winter night in Melbourne, and Roberts’ Going Home, which portrayed a silhouetted couple walking through the golden light of sunset. These paintings shared an immediacy and freshness, capturing transient effects with a masterful economy of brushstrokes.

Timeless Spring Painting

“Herrick’s Blossoms” remains a timeless example of spring art, celebrating nature’s fleeting beauty with a lyrical and romantic touch. The painting exemplifies the shared vision of Conder, Streeton, and Roberts, whose artistic innovations continue to inspire admiration. Their delicate yet bold explorations of light, color, and mood immortalize the ephemeral magic of spring and ensure their place in art history as masters of Australian Impressionism.

Subscribe on social media and email list to get artsy and travel updates, as well as get 15% off the Shop (yes, we have a Creative Shop)!

Sources

Google Art & Culture

19 by 5: Exhibition of Impressionists at Buxton’s Swanston Street, Melbourne, August 17, 1889, Melbourne: the artists, 1889, title page.

Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2010

From: Anne Gray (ed), Australian art in the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002