Working across painting, printmaking, and decorative arts, Adelaide-born Margaret Preston was one of Australia’s most influential early-twentieth-century artists.
Margaret Preston, Aboriginal still life, 1940, oil on canvas, 43.6 × 48cm / Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane / Gift of the Godfrey Rivers Trust through Miss Daphne Mayo 1940 / © Margaret Preston, Licensed by Copyright Agency, Australia
Her still lifes – particularly her iconic depictions of Australian native flowers; banksias, gum blossoms, and waratahs – were bold compositions known for their sophisticated use of colour. Shedding new light on the artist, including her artistic networks and complex relationship with First Nations visual culture, the book brings together key works and new scholarship, including contributions from Geoffrey Batchen, Jennifer Higgie, and Lisa Slade. It accompanies the major retrospective at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, on show until 31 January 2027.
National Gallery of Victoria × Thames & Hudson Australia / September 2026 / 304pp / Hardback / 30.1 × 23.5cm / ISBN 978-1-760-76615-3 / $79.99 / Authors: Beckett Rozentals & Michael Gentle (eds), with Chiaki Ajioka, Geoffrey Batchen, Elle Freak, Jennifer Higgie, Lévi McLean, Anne Ryan, Lisa Slade, and Julia Waite
