Anne Hall was part of the Heide circle, of which Charles Blackman, Sidney Nolan and Hall’s husband, John Perceval were members. Like them, she pursued a Figurative Expressionist style, smudging objective and subjective truths. In a way unique to her however, Hall cuts to the nucleus of her subject, laying bare their soul.
In ‘Untitled (Portrait in Shadow)’, Hall presents a highly distorted figure. Made up of black streaks, his eyes are wild and his body infantile. Perhaps Hall is envisioning her subject’s inner-self: a yet unformed nebula caught between naivety and knowing.
Like Joy Hester and Mirka Mora, Hall forged a compelling female voice in an otherwise male dominated space. That her career was at times overshadowed by her marriage is a testament to Modernism’s issues with gender parity. Now, collected by The National Gallery of Australia, the Ian Potter Museum and Geelong Gallery, her absence is being rightfully redressed.
For collectors of Modernist Australian art and those searching for a unique insight into the Antipodean movement, Hall is a vital find.
Further reading:
Ever wondered why there are so many heads in Modern Art? Discover the new power of portraiture throughout twentieth century Australian art
here.
Anne Marie HALL (1945 - )
'Untitled (Portrait in Shadow)'
oil on paper
Image Size: 57 x 45 cm
Dimensions: 57 x 45 cm
Signed: Inscribed verso: A Hall
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Availability: in stock
Condition: Very good
© The Artist or Assignee
Art and Collectors
