John Mather
Picnic Point near Brighton
Picnic Point near Brighton was exhibited at the 7th Annual
Exhibition of the Art Societyof NSW as By the sea. Originally
known as 'Gypsy Point' because gypsies camped nearby, Picnic
Point is located in Sandringham. Named in 1867 when the
railway was extended, this popular seaside suburb had one of the
first picnic areas to be established in the outer fringes of
Melbourne.
Mather, who was greatly influenced by Buvelot and often
accompanied McCubbin, Streeton and Withers on painting expeditions,
made many sketches of Melbourne's bayside beaches. He referred to
these works, which were completed in his studio, as "hints
from nature".
Following his training at the National Gallery School in
Edinburgh, most of Mather's works prior to 1886 were painted in low
tones reminiscent of traditional Scottish paintings. With its
high keyed colours Picnic Point was one of Mather's earliest
paintings to capture the light and colour of the Australian
landscape.