THE EXHIBITION VICTORIAN VISIONS PRESENTS AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION OF SOME 45 PAINTINGS, WATERCOLOURS, DRAWINGS AND SCULPTURES BY SOME OF THE LUMINARIES OF VICTORIAN ART, INCLUDING WORKS BY ROSSETTI, HOLMAN HUNT, BURNE-JONES, LEIGHTON, POYNTER, WATTS AND WATERHOUSE. THE COLLECTION HAS BEEN ASSEMBLED BY JOHN SCHAEFFER, AUSTRALIA'S MOST PASSIONATE AND HIGHLY RESPECTED COLLECTOR OF 19th CENTURY EUROPEAN ART. THE EXHIBITION IS ON DISPLAY AT THE ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES FROM 20.MAY THROUGH TO 29.AUGUST. THE STUNNING SCHAEFFER COLLECTION COMPLEMENTS THE ART GALLERY OF NSW COLLECTION, EXPANDING THE EXPERIENCE OF VICTORIAN ART IN ITS VARIOUS MOVEMENTS, INCLUDING SOCIAL REALISM, MEDIEVALISM, PRE-RAPHAELITISM, NEO-CLASSICISM, AESTHETICISM AND SYMBOLISM. WHILE THE GALLERY HOLDS ONE OF THE RICHEST COLLECTIONS OF VICTORIAN ART IN THE WORLD, MANY IMPORTANT ARTISTS EITHER UNREPRESENTED OR POORLY REPRESENTED IN SYDNEY ARE NOW VISIBLE IN THE SCHAEFFER COLLECTION. THE PROSPERITY OF THE VICTORIAN ARE (1837-1901) TRANSFORMED THE BRITISH ART WORLD, CREATING A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS WHO WERE FREE TO CREATE PAINTINGS THAT DEPICTED POWERFUL STORIES FROM ANCIENT HISTORY AND CONTEMPORARY LIFE WITH A NEW RICHNESS OF COLOUR AND WEALTH OF DETAIL. FOR EXAMPLE, WATERHOUSE'S PAINTING MARIAMNE DEPICTS THE TRAGIC STORY OF THE YOUNG WIFE OF KING HEROD, WHO IS LEAVING HIS THRONE ROOM AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO DEATH BASED ON FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF INFIDELITY. FRANK DICKSEE'S CHIVALRY IS AN ICONIC IMAGE OF MEDIEVAL GALLANTRY AS A KNIGHT IN ARMOUR HAS SLAIN HIS EVIL RIVAL TO RESCUE A CLASSIC DAMSEL IN DISTRESS. WHILE THOMAS FAED'S PAINTING WORN OUT SHOWS THE WEARY CARPENTER WHO HAS BEEN SITTING ALL NIGHT AT THE BEDSIDE OF HIS SICK CHILD AND WHO FINALLY FALLS ASLEEP AS THE DAWN RISES.
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