In this original etching, Ian Armstrong captures a scene from a bar. A waiter serves a woman, clasping a bottle of wine in his hand. There is a quiet elegance and intrigue to the work – a moment observed, a loud environment momentarily quietened. Key art historical eyes may recognise echoes of Manet’s iconic painting, ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (1882)’.

A close friend and colleague of artists Fred Williams and Harry Rosengrave, Armstrong was a member of the influential George Bell School. His work crossed landscapes, portraiture and still life, united by an intuitive, modernist grasp of form and composition. There is a musicality to Armstrong’s vision, reflective of an artist who pursued his “own peculiar idea of the world, his own way of thinking and feeling.”

Armstrong’s work can be found across public institutions, including at the National Gallery of Victoria, National Gallery of Australia and Art Gallery of New South Wales. For collectors of prints and Australian modernism, this is a charming discovery.

Ian ARMSTRONG (1923 - 2005)
'Untitled (French Bar)' 1988
etching on paper
Edition of 10
Image Size: 13 x 13 cm
Dimensions: 31 x 23 cm
Signed: Editioned, dated, and signed below image.

Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) The Artist or Assignee