Gerrard ‘Gayfield’ Shaw (1885-1961) was an etcher and gallerist. Trained in art in his native Adelaide, he moved to Sydney in 1908 and attended the JS Watkins School. Over the next ten years he became known for his printed bookplates, landscapes and street scenes. By August 1919, when he hosted Roland Wakelin and Roy de Mestre’s now-famous Colour in art exhibition, he was a prominent connoisseur and dealer occupying premises in Penzance Chambers in Elizabeth Street. His art salon was an elegant oasis in the city, dotted with sofas, tables, prints and antiques. In early 1924, however, he devised a gallery from a covered van and took the first-ever show of paintings by Australian artists including Streeton and Roberts on the road, intending to cover a thousand miles through a dozen or so New South Wales country towns. The following year, Shaw disposed of his collection and took to farming in the Inverell district, but in 1929 he sold his property, Yangalala, to live for the next thirty years in Rose Bay.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Danina Anderson, daughter of Max Dupain 2017
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Max Dupain/Copyright Agency, 2021
Danina Anderson (34 portraits)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Johanna McMahon revels in history and mystery in pursuit of a suite of unknown portrait subjects.
Gael Newton delves into the life and art of renowned Australian photographer, Max Dupain.
