COLLECTIONS
The Mosman Art Collection is a historically important and unique collection of paintings and works on paper which have been collected since Mosman Council’s commencement in 1897. The collection is home to some of Australia’s most treasured Australian Impressionist, modernist and contemporary artworks by Grace Cossington-Smith, Margaret Olley and Tracey Moffatt, to name a few.
The collection’s primary focus is Australian painting, and the core of the collection has been formed through the annual, acquisitive Mosman Art Prize established in 1947. Over time, the Prize has developed to become Australia’s most prestigious municipally funded art prize with a national profile, and the resulting collection of modern and contemporary paintings reflects developments in Australian art practices since 1947.
In 2011, the Australian philanthropist Neil Balnaves AO made a major donation of Australian Impressionist and modernist artworks to the Gallery. This significant collection of historical paintings, known as The Balnaves Gift, focuses on Mosman's strong artistic heritage including works by iconic Australian artists such as Arthur Streeton, Conrad Martens, Henry Fullwood, Elioth Gruner, Sydney Long, Margaret Preston, Ethel Carrick Fox and many more.
The Mosman Art Trail is a unique cultural walk featuring illustrated signage of works from the Mosman Art Collection and The Balnaves Gift. Visit Mosman Art Trail to walk in the steps of famous artists and explore the stunning harbourside landscapes that inspired them. Experience the beauty of Mosman and its waterways and hidden coves through the eyes of the many artists who have lived and worked here including Margaret Preston, Arthur Streeton, and Ethel Carrick Fox to name a few.
The collection also includes the painting series ATTACK by Ken Done which were commissioned by Mosman Art Gallery in 2012 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour.
The ongoing conservation and care of the Mosman Art Collection is undertaken with our conservation partners International Conservation Services and is supported by many generous individual donors through the Conservation Fund. Please visit the Conservation Fund page for further information.
THE BALNAVES GIFT
Neil Balnaves AO, a long term Mosman resident, made a pledge in 2010 to donate a million dollars worth of paintings from his personal art collection to the Mosman Art Gallery and municipality. The Balnaves Gift is unquestionably the most important donation ever to be received by Mosman Council featuring sixteen Australian Impressionist and early twentieth century artworks significant to the Mosman including key works by Arthur Streeton, Conrad Martens, Will Ashton, Henry Fullwood, Elioth Gruner, George Halstead, James Ranalph Jackson, Matthew Charles Meere, Adelaide Elizabeth Perry, Sydney Long, Ethel Carrick Fox and Margaret Preston.
