"For generations of children and adults in Australia and overseas,
Brownie Downing brought out the magic of childhood, the Australian bush
and its native inhabitants in an art career spanning several decades.
Through her sketches, watercolours, porcelain items and, later,
illustrated children’s books, she earned a distinct place in Australia’s
art world. Downing’s achievement is intriguing – her most successful
subject, Aboriginal Australia, was one she did not really know first
hand; only in an idealised form. Her success lay in an ability to
capture the simple, naive beauty and innocence of children and wildlife
in a way that transcended any one culture. That quality, developed early
on in a corner of Sydney’s northern suburbs, never left her, staying
with her in the second half of her life lived entirely overseas.""Just where the inspiration for the Aboriginal subjects came from remains
something of a mystery. Holden says the strongest work he saw of
Downing’s were in a scrapbook filled with what he believes must have
been live studies of Aboriginal children. Sonia Downing says her sister
did eventually visit Aboriginal communities, but not until well after
her career was underway. Today, Holden observes, Downing’s stylised work
would probably not survive the more rigorous tests of political
correctness. But he says this is more a reflection of changing times and
social values than of Downing herself. “Brownie’s work is part of the
history of fashion and the history of taste.” Downing’s formative period
in the 1950s, he says, was one in which there was “still a certain
naivety, a certain sentiment that could be employed, or enjoyed, that we
have lost today”.
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| Brownie Downing Miniature Plate |
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| Brownie Downing Miniature Plate |
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| Brownie Downing Miniature Plate |
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| Brownie Downing Miniature Plate |
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| Brownie Downing Miniature Plate |
These vintage plates are available on Ebay.
seller:gardner_and_daughters
