The Australian Impressionists are among the most loved figures of Australian art, and their work has long formed an imaginative backdrop to life in this country. She-Oak and Sunlight: Australian Impressionism offers diverse perspectives on this complex movement and the artists who participated in it, drawing together the threads that comprise its multifaceted nature. This publication explores the importance of historical contexts, personal relationships, international influences, and the impact of place on the trajectory of Impressionism in Australia. Other art forms which intersected with Impressionism, including music and photography, are also considered in detail.

Includes bibliographical references (267-273) Catalogue for exhibition held at NGV Melbourne on 2 April to 22 August 2021.

Contents: Friends and rivals: a quartet with variations / Anne Grey -- Australian impressionists: critical reception and patronage / Ann Galbally -- Australian impressionism: a longer history / Sophie Gerherd and Hannah Presley -- Australian impressionism: a chronology / Sophie Gerherd -- Ephemeral magic: symbolism, poetry and the taste for transformation / Angela Hesson -- Australian impressionism and photography / Helen Ennis -- Music and Australian impressionism / Elizabeth Kertesz -- When is impressionism not impressionism? The case of Australian art at the turn of the nineteenth century / MaryAnne Stevens -- Notes -- List of works -- Contributors -- Acknowledgements.