Spanning the 1880s to the 1930s, this collection display celebrates the innovations in art – and life – introduced by the generation of Australians who travelled to London and Paris for experience and inspiration in the decades either side of 1900. The Cosmopolitans will feature splendid and much-loved portraits by artists including Tom Roberts, Rupert Bunny, George Lambert and Violet Teague, as well as self-portraits – by the likes of Hugh Ramsay and Stella Bowen – which are among the icons of the Gallery’s collection. At the same time, this belle époque transformation of Gallery 2 will underline the debt owed by contemporary Australian artists to the innovation and creativity of their forebears.
