Hans Heysen’s art materials: an investigation into suppliers, knowledge and choice

Abstract

The Cedars, belonging to the estate of the renowned Australian landscape painter Hans Heysen (1877–1968), in the Adelaide Foothills, South Australia, was transformed into a museum in the early 1990s. Consisting of the artist’s home, studio and personal collections, it has provided a rich source for research into the artist’s sources of supplies, his technical knowledge and choices of material. During his lifetime, he maintained meticulous financial receipts, invoices and correspondence, and the collection includes his notebooks, trade directories and catalogues, and a significant study collection of related works and art materials. This evidence makes for a better understanding of Heysen’s t..