AUSTRALIAN ART –
“A Collection of Paintings“ is the title of a notable self-published art anthology released by the Dutch-Australian artist Frank Mutsaers in 1979. The book documents a comprehensive compilation of his signature traditional Australian landscape works, showcasing the distinctive blue-grey light, sprawling gum trees, and rural homesteads that defined his career.
The Artist’s Legacy and Style
Born in Holland in 1920, Frank Mutsaers migrated to Australia in the early 1950s. Initially working as a baker to support his family, he felt an overwhelming impulse to capture the rugged beauty of his new home after moving to Victoria’s La Trobe Valley. Primarily a self-taught landscape artist, he began painting full-time in 1970 and became widely celebrated for his impressionistic representation of the Victorian countryside.
He frequently painted en plein air across iconic regional locations, leaving behind a vast body of work focused on specific areas:
- The Yarra Valley & Yarra Junction: Featuring misty mornings, winding river bends, and dense forest horizons.
- Goulburn Valley & Molesworth: Capturing prominent red gums, billabongs, and grazing livestock.
- The Grampians & High Country: Defining the harsh, bright summer heat and rolling pastoral foothills.
Anthologies & Collection Monographs
If you are looking for the published physical collections of his paintings, they are highly sought-after secondhand art volumes:
- A Collection of Paintings (1979): The original self-published compilation featuring early career milestones, traditional oil boards, and signature river gums