Art history's history in Melbourne: Franz Philipp in correspondence with Arthur Boyd

Notes

• This article is a revised text of the annual lecture of the then Art Association of Australia, in honour of Franz Philipp, delivered at the Association's conference in Adelaide on 3 October 1998. In the preparation of this lecture I have enjoyed discussing the past with Arthur and Yvonne Boyd, Ursula Hoff, Patrick McCaughey, June Philipp, Bernard Smith, June Stewart and many others, to all of whom I am grateful. Much of the documentary material is taken from the University of Melbourne archives, as is the correspondence between Philipp and Boyd (DS L 11/3. Acc. 36. 166); all references to the correspondence are to this source; I am grateful to June Philipp and Arthur Boyd for permission to reproduce extracts from it. Other archival sources in the University of Melbourne have also been consulted, such as those of the Central Registry and the School of Fine Arts, Classical Studies and Archaeology. Arthur Boyd's work is reproduced with the permission of the Bundanon Trust. As an appendix I include a bibliography of Philipp's publications, as they have previously been given only partially.
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• On the overestimation of the importance of Neoplatonism for the Renaissance, especially in twentieth-century art historical writings on iconography, see H. Bredekamp, ‘Götterdämmerung des Neuplatonismus’, Kritische Berichte, vol. XIV, no.4, 1986, pp.39–48.
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• Panofsky's classic article on Titian is chapter 5 in his Studies in Iconology. Humanistic Themes in the Art of the Renaissance, New York: Oxford University Press, 1939, pp.129–69; and that by Edgar Wind, in chapter 10 of his Pagan Mysteries in the Renaissance, London: Faber and Faber, 1968, pp. 121–28.
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• In 1999 the organisation was renamed the Art Association of Australia and New Zealand.
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• At least two of his former students, Patrick McCaughey (‘Franz Philipp—a tribute by Patrick McCaughey’, Art and Australia, vol.8, no.3, 1970, p.218) and Virginia Spate (‘Franz Philipp’, Art and Australia, vol.30, no.4, 1993, pp.516–17), have written essays about their personal recollections of studying with him.
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• Art and Australia dedicated the winter issue (no.4) of 1993 to the contribution made by European émigrés to Australian visual culture, whether as artists, architects, art historians or dealers.
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• On the early history of the department, see J. Burke, ‘The fine arts and the Australian universities’, Vestes, the Australian Universities’ Review, vol. IV, no.4, 1963, pp.259–66; and U. Hoff, ‘Observations on art history in Melbourne 1946–1964’, Australian Journal of Art, vol. III, 1983, pp.5–9.
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• Joseph Burke, letter to Kenneth Clark, 3 March 1946, Kenneth Clark papers, Tate Gallery, London, archive.
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• Kenneth Clark, letter to John Medley, 25 March 1946, University of Melbourne Registry, archive. There is no copy of Clark's reference for Burke among his papers in London at the Tate Gallery archive.
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• P. Paffen, ‘Everard Studley Miller and his bequest to the National Gallery of Victoria’, Art Bulletin of Victoria, no.35, 1994, pp.35–4.
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• As in his ‘Vasari and the Renaissance’, Melbourne Historical Journal, no.2, 1962, p.24.
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• Philipp's annotation in c. 1950 to his own curriculum vitae, which he had sent Joseph Burke, in the archives of the former Department of Fine Arts, now the School of Fine Arts, Classical Studies and Archaeology, University of Melbourne.
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• ‘Jacopo Tintoretto's Portrait of the Doge Pietro Loredano’, Quarterly Bulletin of the National Gallery of Victoria, vol. XI, no. 2, 1967, pp.2–4.
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• John Payne, ‘Tintoretto's Doge Pietro Loredano at the National Gallery of Victoria: the earlier version?’, Art Bulletin of Victoria, vol. XXXIII, 1993, pp.57–61.
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• In my thesis I defined about ten portrait motifs, under the conceptual heading of ‘the portrait of action’, such as the turning portrait, or the portrait of a lover with a hand to his or her heart. This new typology of Venetian portraiture originated with Giorgione, and was widely disseminated among his followers. My model was the study by Aloïs Riegl, the founder of the Vienna School of art history, on the Dutch group portrait Das holländische Gruppenportrait, 1902, a book which we had studied in depth. A brief synopsis of my thesis was later given as a lecture at the international conference in honour of Giorgione, ‘The Giorgionesque portrait from likeness to allegory’, Gior-gione. Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studio per il 5° Centenario della Nascita, Castelfranco Veneto, 29–31 May 1978, Venice: Stamperia di Venezia, 1979, pp.153–58.
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• Philipp, ‘Vasari and the Renaissance’, p.26.
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• Some account of the internment in 1940 is given in The Dunera Affair: A Documentary Resource Book, PR. Bartrop with G. Eisen (eds), Melbourne: Schwartz and Wilkinson and the Jewish Museum of Australia, 1990. However, both the British and Australian Governments have placed an embargo on the files relating to the Dunera affair for 100 years.
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• C. Pearl, The Dunera Scandal. Deported by Mistake, London/Sydney/Melbourne: Angus and Robertson, 1983, pp.78–79.
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• See the catalogue of Adam's watercolours, Leonhard Adam. From the Spree to the Yarra. Aquarelles: 1911–1955, Museum of Art, University of Melbourne, Spring 1996. See also The Dunera Experience, catalogue of an exhibition at the Jewish Museum of Australia, September 1990 to February 1991.
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• A. Grenfell Price (ed.), The Humanities in Australia, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1959, and the section by Philipp, ‘University research in the history of art’, pp.160–61. The survey was updated by J. Stewart, Bibliographical Essay on Art Historical Studies in Australia since 1958, Adelaide: Sydney University Press for the Australian Academy of Humanities, 1974.
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• Stated in a reference Burke wrote for Philipp to the Carnegie Corporation of New York, 28 September 1962, School of Fine Arts, Classical Studies and Archaeology, University of Melbourne, archive.
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• Franz Philipp, ‘Some notes on the study of the history of art’, Present Opinion, vol. III, no.1, 1948, pp.67–70.
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• ibid, p.67.
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• ibid.
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• Franz Philipp, ‘On three paintings by Arthur Boyd’, Present Opinion, vol.11, no.1, 1947, pp.9–14.
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• ibid, p.9.
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• Philipp was equally concerned with the drawings of this period and persuaded Ursula Hoff to buy them for the Print Room, for he remarked to Boyd: ‘I have shown the sheet with the 1941–14 drawings to Ursula who would very much like to buy two drawings for the Print Room of the Gallery. If you are willing to sell, the ones she has in mind are AB. no. 100, The Mourners and no. 105, Woman with dog.’ The references were to Philipp's own catalogue at the end of the Boyd monograph. This letter is in the University of Melbourne Archives, with the rest of the correspondence between Boyd and Philipp, DS L 11/3. Acc.36. 166, referred to in note 1.
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• Philipp, ‘On three paintings by Arthur Boyd’, p.10.
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• ibid, p. 11.
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• Arthur Boyd, letter to Franz Phillipp, 4 January 1966, University of Melbourne archive, DSL11/3. ACC. 36. 166.
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• Franz Philipp, Arthur Boyd, London: Thames and Hudson, 1967, p.138, n.7; Philipp commented: ‘It was only in 1945 that the full truth of the genocide became known to the more civilised world. I did not and do not assume that the artist refers in any direct manner to the concentration camps—but to “evil”, to man's fallen state which was then (in 1945) more crassly manifested than for some centuries.’
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• Philipp, Arthur Boyd, p.42.
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• ibid, plate XIII, p.46.
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• Arthur Boyd, letter to Franz Philipp, 25 January 1966, University of Melbourne archive, DS L 11/3. Acc. 36. 166.
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• Franz Philipp, letter to Arthur Boyd, 16 September 1965, University of Melbourne archive, DS L 11/3. Acc. 36. 166.
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• M. Garlick (born Margaret Plant), ‘The extremes of Arthur Boyd’, Dissent, Spring, 1964, vol.4, no.iii, pp.21–23.
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• Franz Philipp, list of questions to Arthur Boyd, December 1968, University of Melbourne archive, DS L 11/3. Acc, 36. 166.
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• These paintings were illustrated by Philipp as plates 5–7 in Arthur Boyd, and discussed, pp.27–28, 238.
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• Arthur Boyd, letter to Franz Philipp, 30 December 1968, University of Melbourne archive, DS L 11/3. Acc.36.166.
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• Philipp, Arthur Boyd, 1967, see especially chapter 3, pp.52–56.
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• Franz Philipp, undated letter (1965) to Arthur Boyd, University of Melbourne archive, DSL11/3. ACC.36. 166.
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• ibid.
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• ibid.
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• Franz Philipp, letter to Arthur Boyd, 9 April 1965, University of Melbourne archive, DS L11/3. ACC.36. 166.
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• Rebels and Precursors: aspects of painting in Melbourne 1937–1947, Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 1962.
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• On 1 September 1966, Philipp wrote to Boyd, ‘I am enclosing a copy of a letter I have just sent to Trevor Craker concerning Mr. Boase's Introduction, which I have found most disconcerting. The enclosure will explain why. I should like to know whether you really want the Antipodean affair dragged back into life. My reasons for trying to avoid this are set out in the letter to Craker. As to my personal feelings, these are also expressed in the letter. I really think the whole unpleasant affair could easily have been avoided. As you know I have my hands more than full of important work and no time for such unnecessary diversions.’ Boyd replied on 14September, ‘Dear Franz, I am terribly sorry about the whole affair. I gather from Thames and Hudson, after talking to Miss Lowman and Mr Neurath that they really want to correct as much as possible all the items that you object to. I think they must need to do it very tactfully because they are involved with Dr Boase on quite a number of other books. One of the smaller ones is a small reissue of a book that he wrote many years ago on the life of St Francis illustrated with some of my lithographs. From the conversations we've had I really believe they want to put the thing in its correct perspective. Dr Boase himself I know would be very glad to hear from you and would welcome any suggestions. I think he would see your point.’ These letters are in the University of Melbourne archives.
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• The only study of Boyd which uses the diaries, though not extensively, is the catalogue by Grazia Gunn, Arthur Boyd; Seven Persistent Images, Canberra: Australian National Gallery, 1985.
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• J Mollison, ‘Arthur Boyd’, Art and Australia, vol.3, no.2, September 1965, pp.114–23.
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• University of Melbourne archives, UMA, DSLII/3.
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• ibid.
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• The text of Boyd's transcript, ‘Biographical note’, far richer in detail than the cut down version, is with the correspondence, UMA, DSLII/3.
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• ibid.
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• ibid.
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• Tim Burstall (director) and Patrick Ryan (producer), Love, Marriage and Death of a Half-Caste, Eltham Film Productions, Australia, 1960.
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• Arthur Boyd in conversation with Jaynie Anderson, at Suffolk, July 1998.
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• For Philipp's individual publications, referred to in this section, see Appendix 1, ‘Franz Philipp: publications’.
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• School of Fine Arts, Classical Studies and, Archaeology University of Melbourne, archive.
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• University of Melbourne archives, UMA, DSLII/3.
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