The above proof impression of the front cover designed by Charles Conder of the catalogue for the 9 By 5 Impression Exhibition, held in Melbourne in August 1889 , described as possibly the most famous in Australian art history , has been offered for sale by Douglas Stewart Fine Books, Melbourne , the price reserved .
There were 182 paintings in the exhibition, all done on cigar box lids and cardboard , measuring 9 by 5 inches, marking the first move into art nouveau.
Condor, one of the three main exhibitors , Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton the others, was aged 20 when given the task of designing the cover of the 16 page catalogue , which sold for sixpence . Additional information supplied by Douglas Stewart Fine Books follows .
An original catalogue from The 9 By 5 Impression Exhibition would be a high point of any collection of Australian art books, the last copy recorded to change hands being Arthur Streeton’s copy, acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria in 2006.
Conder’s original hand drawn design was transferred to a process block by the printers, and until recently the block remained in a private collection, the original block sold by Sotheby’s Australia in 2014 for $73,200 (Important Australian & International Art AU0792, Sydney, 25 Nov 2014, lot 23).
A small number of proofs were printed from the block, in the same auction was sold another proof impression, an example signed in pen by Conder (lot 24, $18,300).
The cover on offer is in a hand crafted wooden ,waxed timber frame by Phillip Tregear.
