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John Russell / Australia/France 1858–1930 / Amandiers et ruines, Sicile (Almond trees and ruins, Sicily) 1887 / Oil on canvas / 64.5 x 81.2cm / Purchased 1989 from the estate of Lady Trout with a special allocation from the Queensland Government / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
John RussellAmandiers et ruines, Sicile (Almond trees and ruins, Sicily) 1887
Not Currently on Display
This is an early work painted during John Russell’s visit to Sicily in 1887. After meeting Claude Monet at Belle-Île in the summer of 1886, John Russell returned to classes in Paris. Feeling that he needed to make substantial changes to his work to encompass all he had learnt, he set out to explore the southern coastlines of Italy.
Settling for a time in the Sicilian town of Taormina, in the shadow of Mount Etna, Russell travelled to the other side of the island to view the Hellenic ruins overlooking the Mediterranean at Agrigento. This spectacular site, around 1000 metres above sea level, houses several Greek temples.
Russell chose to paint the picturesque ‘Temple of Castor and Pollux’, comprising just four columns and a portion of architrave scavenged from other temple sites, a reconstruction made in 1836. Russell’s painting inspired Van Gogh to paint similar scenes in the south of France.
Sydney-born John Russell was destined to join his family’s engineering firm, but at 18 he became preoccupied by art. Having gained financial independence on the death of his father, Russell travelled to London in 1881 to study painting. In 1885, as a student in Paris, he worked with and befriended several important European artists, including Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Auguste Rodin and Vincent Van Gogh.
A year later, Russell and his wife settled on Belle-Île, an island off the coast of Brittany, where he built a house in which he hosted many artist friends. Here, Russell also met and developed a close friendship with artist Claude Monet, who played a significant part in his artistic development. Side-by-side, the pair painted numerous landscapes of the dramatic coastline.
Following his wife’s death in 1908, Russell destroyed many of his works and left Belle-Île to travel extensively in Europe, painting mainly watercolours. Russell returned to Australia in 1921, where he painted very little until his death.
Discussion Questions
1. Imagine you are slowly walking along the path in this painting, past the almond trees and the Greek ruins. Make your eyes slowly travel the distance along the path to the horizon. What did you notice about the landscape? Describe the sights and sounds you experience.
2. Discuss the various aspects of the subject matter within the painting that suggest the passing of time.
Classroom Activities
1. Imagine yourself walking through the scene in this painting and write a poem.
2. Research the French term en plein air. Together as a class, go outdoors to paint the same scene, recording what you see in one hour. Display your painting alongside your classmates’ works.