Prints & Multiples | A view from above: Roofscapes in Printmaking

Prints & Multiples

A View from Above: Roofscapes in Printmaking —

Roofscapes and man-made infrastructures are commonly seen in artist’s studies, from the rural outback to the rooftops of the busy city. Here, we take a look at three Australian printmakers who have embraced this setting.

Lesbia Thorpe – Terraced Houses, Royal Parade 1956 Thorpe’s prints cover many subjects, however she often returns to landscapes and building facades. Terraced Houses, Royal Parade was completed upon her return to Melbourne after travelling in London. Drawing inspiration from the London exteriors, Thorpe was attracted to these iconic terrace houses seen across Royal Parade, many of them still standing.

Experimenting with the balance of light and dark, she has used the darker blocks in this linocut to enhance the fronts of the terrace houses, the trees, and the figures.

Alan Sumner – Grey Roofs, Prahran 1944 - 46 Throughout Alan Sumner’s practice, he remained dedicated to the subject matter of landscapes with the incorporation of housing structures. The view pictured in Grey Roofs, Prahran could be seen through the drawing room window of Sumner’s studio on Chapel Street. Originally executed in pastel, Sumner took great care to keep the colours used in the screen-print true to the original. Lisette Kohlhagen – Melbourne Rooftops c. 1938 Born in South Australia like many other influential female artists, Kohlhagen was encouraged by fellow artist and close friend Thea Proctor to broaden her focus to printmaking. Using a number of different mediums, her subject matter featured flora and fauna, and extended to city scenes. The artist produced a number of linocut prints during her time in Melbourne in the late 1930s, all focused on the Melbourne cityscape. Melbourne Rooftops was created during this period, and she has used bold blocks of black ink to enhance the detail and shadowing of the familiar scene.

HANNAH RYAN / Art Specialist Next Prints & Multiples Auction Wed 6 April, 6pm MELBOURNE

TOP: LESBIA THORPE (1919-2009) Terraced Houses, Royal Parade 1956 linocut 2/10 Sold for $2,125

LEFT: ALAN SUMNER (1911-1994) Grey Roofs, Prahran 1944-1946 screenprint, edition of 40 Sold for $1,375

BELOW: LISETTE KOHLHAGEN (1890-1969) Melbourne Rooftops c.1938 linocut Sold for $600