Classical Modernism: The George Bell Circle
Condition: SECONDHAND
NB: This is a secondhand book in very good condition. See our FAQs for more information. Please note that the jacket image is indicative only. A description of our secondhand books is not always available. Please contact us if you have a question about this title.
Author: Felicity St.John Moore
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 140
Felicity St. John Moore’s Classical Modernism: The George Bell Circle, published in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria’s landmark 1992 exhibition, remains one of the most intellectually rigorous and visually rewarding studies of Australian art between the two World Wars. It is more than a simple catalogue; it is the definitive text charting the influence of George Bell and his revolutionary school in Toorak and later on Bourke Street.
Bell occupies a unique and complicated space in Australian art history: a formally trained conservative who, following a profound conversion to modernism, dedicated the latter half of his career to instilling its tenets in a new generation. Moore’s genius lies in her ability to define the precise nature of the style that emerged from his tutelage—a style she aptly terms "Classical Modernism."
This movement, which drew inspiration not from the fiery emotionalism of Abstract Expressionism but from the cool, formal discipline of the École de Paris (particularly the post-Cubist classicism of artists like Picasso and Derain in the 1920s), is characterized by its emphasis on formal discipline, objectivity, and classical design.
Moore’s achievement is twofold. First, she successfully maps the pedagogical influence of Bell, detailing how artists like Russell Drysdale, Eric Thake, Sybil Craig, and Dorothy Braund adopted Bell’s foundational principles of composition and form before developing their own unique visual languages. The extensive inclusion of works from over sixty-five artists, meticulously contextualized, clearly demonstrates this crucial lineage.
Second, the book provides a vital counter-narrative to the dominant, romanticized story of the "Angry Penguins" and the Heide circle. By focusing on the Bell Circle, Moore reminds us that Melbourne's modernism was multifaceted, featuring a sophisticated, often understated commitment to structure and design that preceded and ran concurrent with the eruption of expressionist painting in the 1940s.
Ultimately, Classical Modernism is indispensable. It is a work of exemplary scholarship—well-researched, eloquently written, and lavishly illustrated—that corrected a historical oversight and secured the George Bell School’s rightful place as the essential catalyst for the modern turn in Australian painting. It is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the formal foundations upon which Australia’s mid-century aesthetic was built.
NB: This is a secondhand book in very good condition. See our FAQs for more information. Please note that the jacket image is indicative only. A description of our secondhand books is not always available. Please contact us if you have a question about this title.
Author: Felicity St.John Moore
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 140
Felicity St. John Moore’s Classical Modernism: The George Bell Circle, published in conjunction with the National Gallery of Victoria’s landmark 1992 exhibition, remains one of the most intellectually rigorous and visually rewarding studies of Australian art between the two World Wars. It is more than a simple catalogue; it is the definitive text charting the influence of George Bell and his revolutionary school in Toorak and later on Bourke Street.
Bell occupies a unique and complicated space in Australian art history: a formally trained conservative who, following a profound conversion to modernism, dedicated the latter half of his career to instilling its tenets in a new generation. Moore’s genius lies in her ability to define the precise nature of the style that emerged from his tutelage—a style she aptly terms "Classical Modernism."
This movement, which drew inspiration not from the fiery emotionalism of Abstract Expressionism but from the cool, formal discipline of the École de Paris (particularly the post-Cubist classicism of artists like Picasso and Derain in the 1920s), is characterized by its emphasis on formal discipline, objectivity, and classical design.
Moore’s achievement is twofold. First, she successfully maps the pedagogical influence of Bell, detailing how artists like Russell Drysdale, Eric Thake, Sybil Craig, and Dorothy Braund adopted Bell’s foundational principles of composition and form before developing their own unique visual languages. The extensive inclusion of works from over sixty-five artists, meticulously contextualized, clearly demonstrates this crucial lineage.
Second, the book provides a vital counter-narrative to the dominant, romanticized story of the "Angry Penguins" and the Heide circle. By focusing on the Bell Circle, Moore reminds us that Melbourne's modernism was multifaceted, featuring a sophisticated, often understated commitment to structure and design that preceded and ran concurrent with the eruption of expressionist painting in the 1940s.
Ultimately, Classical Modernism is indispensable. It is a work of exemplary scholarship—well-researched, eloquently written, and lavishly illustrated—that corrected a historical oversight and secured the George Bell School’s rightful place as the essential catalyst for the modern turn in Australian painting. It is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the formal foundations upon which Australia’s mid-century aesthetic was built.