Lloyd Rees is one of Australia’s most admired artists and one of the pre-eminent landscape artists of his age (1895-1988). The Art Gallery of NSW has the most comprehensive collection of Lloyd Rees works of any institution.

This distinguished artist comes closest perhaps, in Australian terms, to being an old master, said Michael Brand, Art Gallery of NSW director.

To celebrate the quality and abundance of works in the Art Gallery of NSW collection, the Gallery is presenting an exhibition and publishing a new book titled Lloyd Rees: paintings, drawings and prints. Together the exhibition and book highlight the fascinating interrelationship between the artist’s drawings, paintings and prints.

Architect Ken Woolley will launch the book Lloyd Rees: paintings, drawings and prints. on Friday 7 June, 11am in the exhibition. Lloyd Rees’ son Alan and daughter-in-law Jancis will be at the launch together with author of the book, Hendrik Kolenberg. Kolenberg is an authority on Rees’ work and former senior curator of Australian prints, drawings and watercolours.

The works selected for the exhibition reveal the artist’s close relationship with Sydney, especially the harbour and its environs, as well as landscapes further afield, including the South Coast, Tasmania, France and the Mediterranean. Comprising both paintings and works on paper, the exhibition is on display in the Lowy Gonski Gallery (part of the 20th and 21st century Australian galleries) and the Study Room.

Living in Sydney for almost 70 years, Lloyd Rees was a regular visitor to the Art Gallery of NSW and the Gallery purchased many important works during his lifetime and since his death, including an extraordinarily rich group of works on paper from his son Alan and daughter-in-law Jancis.

Some of Lloyd Rees’ most iconic works will be on show including Road to Berry 1947, his Wynne Prize winning The Harbour from McMahon’s Point 1950, exceptional drawings from the 1930s, later masterpieces such as The summit, Mount Wellington II 1973 and transcendent bold late works such as The great rock, dusk 1977 and Fire haze at Gerringong 1980.