The Gully - Grace Cossington Smith

A modernist study of Australian bushland, featuring rhythmic brushwork and a muted, earthy palette by Grace Cossington Smith.

Grace Cossington Smith was a pioneer of modernism in Australia, known for her distinctive approach to colour and form. In this work, she depicts a bush gully with a rhythmic, structured application of paint. The composition is built from small, deliberate brushstrokes that create a sense of movement across the canvas. Rather than attempting a realistic representation, the artist focuses on the interplay of light and shadow within the dense vegetation. The trees are rendered with curved, rhythmic lines that guide the eye through the scene. The palette consists of muted greens, soft greys, and earthy tones, punctuated by subtle hints of warmer colour. This approach reflects the artist's interest in the structural qualities of the natural environment. By breaking the scene into distinct, patterned segments, she captures the essence of the Australian bush while maintaining a clear modernist sensibility. Cossington Smith often worked from her home in Turramurra, where the surrounding bushland provided constant inspiration. Her technique involves a systematic layering of colour, which gives the surface a tactile quality. The work avoids traditional perspective, opting instead for a flattened, decorative arrangement that emphasises the two-dimensional nature of the medium. This piece demonstrates her ability to transform a familiar subject into a study of light and rhythm, characteristic of her mature style during the 1920s.