EUGENE VON GUERARD, THE GREAT LAKE, TASMANIA.

National Trust of Victoria CEO Martin Purslow and the Board of the National Trust are pleased with the result of the sale at Sotheby’s on 27th August of Eugene von Guérard’s The Great Lake, Tasmania. The proceeds will be used to found a new endowment for Trust properties and education. The painting sold for $1.55m close to its upper estimate of $1.6m. The Trust had previously rejected a bid of $1.2m ahead of the painting being submitted to auction.

Originally donated to the Trust in 1963 by John Ware Robinson, the painting was for many years hung in the Trust’s Board Room at Como House. The painting was de-accessioned for sale by the Trust some years ago as it is outside the collecting policy of the Victorian Trust. Trust CEO Martin Purslow said, ‘The sale has been conducted in an open and transparent way with the full support of the original donor’s family. We very much thank them for their support and understanding. The $1.55m the Trust receives from the sale will be used to found a new endowment fund for Trust properties in Victoria and specifically Como House, which will be added to by the Trust and donors to secure a sustainable future for some of Victoria’s most significant heritage buildings.’

This painting is one of the defining images of wilderness in 19th-century Australian art. It is among the artist’s largest paintings, completed in 1875 after his second visit to Tasmania. Victorian Trust CEO Martin Purslow said, ‘This iconic painting is a rare depiction of a significant Tasmanian landscape. Its sale will enable the Trust in Victoria to found a long term legacy from the original generous donation that will benefit our heritage for years to come.’

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