Hidden artwork’s first ever public exhibition after its shock discovery

A hidden artwork will be displayed to the public for the first time after staff at the National Gallery of Victoria discovered it nailed to the back of another painting.

Hidden in plain sight for decades, the early 1940s abstract painting by late modernist artist Ralph Balson was found stuck to the back of a painting that had been done by close friend and fellow artist Grace Crowley. The painting was given to the gallery almost 45 years ago, not long after Ms Crowley passed away.

The gallery had been preparing for an exhibition of both artists’ work when NGV conservator of paintings Raye Collins made the remarkable discovery.

“When I looked very closely at the back of the artwork, it had an old cardboard backing on the back of it which had been painted,” Ms Collins told the Herald Sun.

“I noticed some variations in the texture on that backing board, and I realised that it was actually a painting that had been painted out.”

Hi-tech photographic equipment detected a likeness to Balson’s work from that time. The cardboard was then removed using a very delicate process and the hidden artwork was revealed – much to the amazement of Ms Collins and gallery curator Beckett Rozentals.

Ms Collins said the two artists had been good friends and were known to paint together. She said they often shared or reused materials during the wartime period, when there was a shortage of art supplies, among other things.

“At that point, the penny sort of dropped that we might actually have something on the inward facing side of this,” she explained.

Ms Collins said the remarkable discovery was a career highlight.

“In the course of my work, we are lucky sometimes to discover an abandoned painting or a painting that’s been painted out, or even a painting underneath another painting,” she said.

“It’s extraordinarily rare that we would find a fully intact complete painting, which, up until this point, appears to have been completely unknown to art history.”

Ms Rozentals said the painting – which had the word “storage” written on it – was likely attached to Crowley’s work for safekeeping at a time when Australians feared that Sydney Harbour would be bombed during WWII.

“Raye and I have ourselves collaborated as conservator and curator throughout this, using Raye’s expertise, and I’ve loved our own work together on this,” Ms Rozentals said.

“It adds to part of this story, and what we’ve gotten out of this, and what we’ve been able to also now share with Australian audiences, which is really exciting.”

Visitors will be in for a treat when the exhibition opens on May 23. A large selection of Crowley and Balson’s work, including Balson’s hidden artwork, will be displayed at the Ian Potter Centre until September 22.

“I think people are forever fascinated (by) painting discoveries on the other side (of existing artwork), and I never would have thought that we were going to make a discovery,” Ms Rozentals said.

“ … It’s a wonderful debut for the painting and a truly exciting moment.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• variations: differences
• painted out: covered up so you can’t see it
• likeness: similar or fitting with a specific style
• conservator: someone who preserves and repairs artworks
• curator: someone who oversees a gallery or exhibition
• debut: first showing

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QUICK QUIZ
1. When do gallery staff believe the hidden painting was nailed to the back of the Crowley portrait?
2. Why do they think it was hidden in this way?
3. What are the names of the two artists that feature in this story?
4. Which Australian gallery is exhibiting the hidden artwork?
5. Which major world event was happening when the artwork was painted?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Abstract art
Ralph Balson was one of the first artists to hold a solo exhibition purely of abstract art. Looking at this newly discovered work, and some of Balson’s other work, construct your own abstract piece of art using materials of your choice (textas, crayons, pastels, collage, paint etc.)

Once you complete your art, compare and share with others and take it home to display.

Time: allow 40 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Visual Arts, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Do you think there might be some other undiscovered pieces of art like this in art galleries around the world? How could they look?

How much would you estimate this painting to be worth?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Arts, History, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!
Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.