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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Treania Smith

c. 1937
Helen Stewart

oil on canvas (frame: 81.3 cm x 66.2 cm depth 3.3 cm)
Image not available (NC)

Helen Stewart's portrait of artist and gallerist Treania Smith (1901–1990) is an encapsulation of the modern art scene in Sydney in the 1930s. As co-director of Macquarie Galleries from 1938 until 1979, Smith represented artists who are now counted among the foremost Australian exponents of modernism. Stewart, who studied in Europe under the highly influential teachers Iain McNab and Andre Lhote, exemplifies the artists whose work Smith is renowned for having championed. Stewart's first show at Macquarie Galleries in 1934 consisted of a group of portraits that were described by a Sydney Morning Herald critic as expressing 'a splendidly decisive, individual, and penetrating vision. The colour in them is a delight. In design, they reflect the finest achievement of contemporary activity abroad.' Artist and sitter were friends, both members of the Contemporary Group, and together made regular painting trips with Grace Cossington Smith AO OBE and Thea Proctor. Included in the Contemporary Group's 1937 exhibition at the David Jones Art Gallery, this portrait of Smith is unmistakeably modern in execution, demonstrating a flattened picture plane and the distillation of the figure and setting into a series of geometric shapes, lines and curvilinear forms.

Gift in memory of Tesse Lang by her husband Moshe Lang and family 2024. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Helen Stewart (age 37 in 1937)

Treania Smith (age 36 in 1937)

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency