Shipping on the Yarra, Early Morning

A lovely example of Ashton's atmospheric watercolours, illustrating his sensitive use of colour and light; the steam ships and the warehouses beyond are painted delicately at sunrise when the light is especially soft, whilst the Yarra River is bathed in a shimmering glow of subtle colour. This was one of six works that Ashton exhibited in the tenth exhibition of the "Victorian Academy of Arts" in 1880. Catalogue number 117 was, "Shipping on the Yarra, early morning". All his works drew high praise: "In each the artist has succeeded in exhibiting comparatively common place objects under a poetic aspect, without doing violence to nature; and in all he proves himself to have a remarkably fine eye for colour"

Julian Rossi Ashton (1851-1942) had exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts, London before emigrating to Australia in 1878. He lived in Melbourne for five years before moving to Sydney where he dominated the Sydney art scene for over fifty years as an artist, teacher and patron, founding the "Julian Ashton Art School" in 1890. His early European training with the Academie Julien in Paris and at the West London School of Art encouraged French realism in the style of the Barbizon School with its emphasis on "en plein air" painting. Later, as a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Ashton became an avid promoter of Australian Impressionism. In the magazine "Home" (March 1924) Arthur Jose named him as one of 'the seven greatest living Australians' and in 1930 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire