Press and Editorial

JOHN VIRTUE - New Italian Landscapes

12 March 2009
Bill Gregory

» View JOHN VIRTUE - New Italian Landscapes exhibition


ANNANDALE GALLERIES proudly present the FIRST SHOWING of the Italian landscape paintings by the internationally acclaimed, London and Lucca (Italy) based artist JOHN VIRTUE.

The comments made by the acclaimed critic, famed television presenter (History of Britain) and author Simon Schama when responding to the London paintings exhibited while Virtue was associate artist at the National Gallery in London in 2005 are still appropriate now. Schama wrote; ?these paintings are punk epics: gritty, brazen with tough truth. You don?t so much look at them as collide with them: pictures which smack you into vision. This is what all strong painting is supposed to do: deliver a visceral jolt, half pleasure-hit; half inexplicable illumination.?

Following his London residency, JOHN VIRTUE bought a house and set up a studio near Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy. The views from the house include some mountain ranges in the distance that provided the artist with ideal subject matter for his work.

The result are paintings of tremendous energy, monumental in scale (regardless of size as the same may be said of the small monotypes as the 2.5 x 3.0 metre canvases) romantic in spirit and expressionist and free in delivery. The influence of the masters he admires is also present from Constable and Turner through to the abstract expressionists, especially Franz Kline, and Japanese calligraphy.

This is John Virtue?s fourth solo exhibition at Annandale galleries. His work hangs in numerous public and private collections in Australia, the UK, USA and Europe. He is the recipient of numerous awards and his exhibition as associate artist at the National Gallery in London in 2005 broke all records for a show of this nature, drawing over 135,000 visitors. He exhibits with Marlborough Gallery in London.

For further information, press or visuals please contact Annandale Galleries or visit our website

« Back to main press page


» View JOHN VIRTUE - New Italian Landscapes exhibition


ANNANDALE GALLERIES proudly present the FIRST SHOWING of the Italian landscape paintings by the internationally acclaimed, London and Lucca (Italy) based artist JOHN VIRTUE.

The comments made by the acclaimed critic, famed television presenter (History of Britain) and author Simon Schama when responding to the London paintings exhibited while Virtue was associate artist at the National Gallery in London in 2005 are still appropriate now. Schama wrote; ?these paintings are punk epics: gritty, brazen with tough truth. You don?t so much look at them as collide with them: pictures which smack you into vision. This is what all strong painting is supposed to do: deliver a visceral jolt, half pleasure-hit; half inexplicable illumination.?

Following his London residency, JOHN VIRTUE bought a house and set up a studio near Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy. The views from the house include some mountain ranges in the distance that provided the artist with ideal subject matter for his work.

The result are paintings of tremendous energy, monumental in scale (regardless of size as the same may be said of the small monotypes as the 2.5 x 3.0 metre canvases) romantic in spirit and expressionist and free in delivery. The influence of the masters he admires is also present from Constable and Turner through to the abstract expressionists, especially Franz Kline, and Japanese calligraphy.

This is John Virtue?s fourth solo exhibition at Annandale galleries. His work hangs in numerous public and private collections in Australia, the UK, USA and Europe. He is the recipient of numerous awards and his exhibition as associate artist at the National Gallery in London in 2005 broke all records for a show of this nature, drawing over 135,000 visitors. He exhibits with Marlborough Gallery in London.

For further information, press or visuals please contact Annandale Galleries or visit our website

« Back to main press page



Press and Editorial

Browse through articles and reviews for artists and exhibitions at Annandale Galleries. View by article type or search by a specific artist by selecting from the dropdown.

Filter by Artist

All articles and reviews are strictly copyright the respective author and publication. Any works or images featured are further copyright both the artist and/or the photographer.