One of Australia’s most iconic artists, Brett Whiteley was deeply preoccupied with the relationship between self and place, often questioning the extent to which environment shapes identity. This inquiry is powerfully expressed in his depictions of Lavender Bay, the small Sydney suburb that housed his studio and home, where landscape becomes inseparable from lived experience.

Whiteley's 1977 etching 'Sydney Harbour Bridge' engages directly with place. From an elevated vantage point, Whiteley looks down across the harbour, tracing its rhythms, signs of life, and sweeping curves. The bridge, monolithic in the landscape, appears not just as a landmark, but as a living, breathing form. This continues throughout the scene - the curve of the harbour, the boats, and city buildings are all animated by movement, rendered by Whiteley with a striking sense of intimacy.

Among Australia’s most celebrated artists, Whiteley won the Art Gallery of NSW Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes several times. ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge’ is a highly collectable etching that will delight Sydney-siders and admirers of Whiteley. 

 

Brett WHITELEY (1962 - 1992)
'Sydney Harbour Bridge' 1977
etching on paper
Edition of 60
Image Size: 60 x 45 cm
Dimensions: 75 x 53 cm
Signed: Signed and numbered below image
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Literature: Mandy, R., Brett Whiteley: The Complete Graphics, 1961-1982, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 1983, p.30, cat.35 (illus., another example).

Brett Whiteley: The Graphics 1961-1992, Deutscher Fine Art, Melbourne, 1995,p.112, cat.46 (illus. p.54, another example).

Sutherland, K., Brett Whiteley: Catalogue Raisonne, Schwartz Publishing, Melbourne, 2020, vol.5, p.71, cat.75P (illus., another example), vol.7, p.821.
 
Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art’s image As New, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to paint surface. Image is in Fine condition.
 
(c) Wendy Whiteley / Copyright Agency