Heidelberg School painter makes a major impression in Australian auction collection

Thirty-five paintings by Heidelberg School Australian impressionist artist John Llewellyn Jones (1866-1927) will be auctioned as part of the Tracey and Anthony Muston collection of quality antiques and art on site in their country estate at 40 Hyde hill Road, Harkaway from 12pm Sunday October 9 by Christian McCann Auctions.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Jones studied at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School before becoming an early member of Box Hill artists’ camp, established in 1885.

He then joined the Heidelberg camp where, alongside the likes of iconic Australian landscape painters Arthur Streeton and Charles Condor, he painted Australian landscapes using impressionist techniques.

In 1890, the Art Gallery of New South Wales purchased Jones’ The Dry Season and Streeton’s An Australian Gloaming – making them among the first Heidelberg works to enter a public collection – because they were viewed as “promising young artists”.

The Muston collection is enviable for its quality but now the husband and wife are relocating and have decided to sell their entire wares.

Among the furniture is a five-metre walnut banquet dining table (lot 106) previously in the collection of famous Australian World War II hero the late Edward “Weary” Dunlop.

Two of the more interesting Jones paintings are Strolling with the dog (lot 37) and Harbour scene (lot 72) – both with modest catalogue estimates.

Another artwork of note is Norman Lindsay’s Nude (lot 7) with a catalogue estimate of $15,000-$22,500.

There are several quality clocks on offer including a 19^th century French ormolu salon timepiece with an enamel dial and hand painted porcelain panel (lot 16).

A pair of 19^th century French bronze and gilt bronze candelabra on marble bases (lot 24) are worth a closer look – along with a pair of English seven branch silver plated candelabra (lot 93) which reflects the standard of sliver in the Muston collection.

Lot 25, a fine pair of 19^th century French three drawer kingwood oval shaped commodes with parquetry inlay, is another drawcard – as is a French kingwood bow front vitrine from the same period (lot 47).

Porcelain is another major feature of the collection, represented in excellent fashion by a large 19^th century Royal Berlin two handle vase with hand painted central panels showing nobles in a landscape (lot 48).