Brett Whiteley (1939-1992)

By 1979, Whiteley was still living in Lavender Bay and sharing his studio with his close friend and sculptor Joel Elenberg: 'The spirit of Lavender Bay was carried into themes of birds and landscapes which Whiteley painted during the next fifteen years, works that were joyous responses to an optical world without pain.' (B. Pearce, Brett Whiteley Art & Life, Sydney, 1995, p.36) For a similar drawing of a swan dated 1979, see Sotheby's Melbourne, 24 November 1997, lot 200 (Regality 1979).

This work will be included in the forthcoming Brett Whiteley catalogue raisonné being compiled by Kathie Sutherland.