The letter (McCubbin)
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| The letter | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Frederick McCubbin |
| Year | 1884 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 69.1 cm × 51.0 cm (27.2 in × 20.1 in) |
| Location | Art Gallery of Ballarat, Ballarat |
| Website | artgalleryofballarat.com.au |
The letter is an 1884 painting by the Australian artist Frederick McCubbin. The painting depicts a young woman reading a letter walking in the bush alongside a stream.[1]
The model for the woman was the artist's sister Harriet McCubbin (known as "Polly"), an art student.[1] The setting is believed to have been worked up from en plein air sketches of the Yarra River near Darebin Creek.[1]
A privately held sister piece, featuring the woman reading the letter without the bush setting will be auctioned in November 2021.[2]
The painting was acquired by the Art Gallery of Ballarat in 1946 and remains part of its collection.[3]