E. Goodwyn Lewis
Portrait of James Oddie, founder of the Art Gallery of Ballarat
E. Goodwyn Lewis came to Melbourne in 1880 and spent three years
working from a studio at 105A Collins Street, during which time it
is likely that succesful Ballarat businessman James Oddie
made his acquaintance. Oddie acquired A street in
Jerusalem which he gave to the Gallery in 1885, during the
artist's stay in Melbourne. This portrait was painted after
the artist had returned to England, while Oddie himself
was travelling in his homeland.
The portrait, purchased by the Gallery in 1887, shows the
founding member and first President of the Art Gallery of
Ballarat, standing beside a table with his hand resting on an early
'Tangent Galvanometer' - a device used for measuring electrical
current. It is curious that Oddie chose this object with
which to be associated in this portrait destined for the
Gallery, rather than emphasising some aspect of his cultural
interests. A strong advocate for the use of electricity,
Oddie had wanted to install electric lighting in the Gallery
- even at his own cost - but had been blocked by the other more
conservative members of the committee of the Art Gallery of
Ballarat Association.