EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY ART IN THE WESTERN DISTRICTS: Hamilton Gallery and the Shaw Bequest with Matthew Martin

In 1957 pastoralist Herbert Shaw bequeathed to the Hamilton Shire Council an extraordinary collection of eighteenth-century decorative arts that he and his wife, May, had assembled over many years.  

This was the origins of the Hamilton Gallery we know today. This lecture will explore highlights of Hamilton Gallery’s rich holdings of eighteenth-century art, including important Meissen and Bow porcelain, outstanding German baroque silver and an exceptional tapestry to a design by Charles Le Brun.     

MATTHEW MARTIN is Lecturer in Art History and Curatorship in the University of Melbourne. From 2006 to 2019 he was a curator in the department of International Decorative Arts and Antiquities in the National Gallery of Victoria. His research focusses on the art and visual culture of the European eighteenth century.   

The Hamilton Gallery 60th anniversary publication is available in our SHOP. 

This lecture is presented on-site at The Johnston Collection. Please see your ticket for details. 

This lecture is supported by The Colin Holden Charitable Trust and The Friends of TJC 

Image | 

Charles Le Brun (French, 1619– 1690), (designer)  

Judocus de Vos Workshop (Belgian, 1661/62-1734), (manufacturer) 

The Entry of Alexander in Bablyon, (early) 18th century 

wool, silk  

collection of Hamilton Gallery, Herbert and May Shaw Bequest, 1958 

image provided