Eugene Von Guérard’s Missing Painting Rediscovered After Nearly 150 Years

One of the greatest landscape artists of this world, Eugene von Guérard saw one of his masterpieces went missing in 1873. One of his greatest creations, the "View of the Granite Rocks at Cape Woolamai" was painted by him in 1872. The painting was last seen at the Vienna World Exposition in 1873 before it went missing mysteriously. After almost 150 years, this masterpiece has been rediscovered and will now be on view at Sotheby's in Sydney from April 27.

Eugene von Guérard was born in Vienna, Austria on Nov. 17, 1811. In 1852, he went to Victoria, Australia to try his luck in gold-digging on the Victorian Goldfields. Though he could not become successful in gold digging, he did produce some of his golden creations based on Australia's beautiful landscapes. Eugene von Guérard's creations were awe-inspiring, particularly because of their remarkable detailing of Australian landscapes and vegetations.  

According to  ABC News, "View of the Granite Rocks at Cape Woolamai" was one of Eugene von Guérard's greatest creations. Painted in 1872 this landscape was sent out of Australia to represent his artistic genius at the Vienna World Exposition, where it was last seen before disappearing mysteriously. According to Sotheby's Australia chairman Geoffrey Smith, the painting has been in possession of an international collector for the last 40 odd years.

Interestingly the collector was not aware of the significance of this painting. It is believed that the painting is still carrying the original frame which was made by Isaac Whitehead, the leading frame maker of Melbourne. An ecstatic Geoffrey Smith said about this particular creation of Eugene von Guérard, "It becomes part of our visual vocabulary of the history and development of Australian art; it's retaining its rightful position in that story."

According to The Daily Telegraph, the painting was an outcome of the experiences Eugene von Guérard had in his times in Victoria. It portrays wild waves crashing over Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island along Victoria's coast and thus it was named "View of the Granite Rocks at Cape Woolamai". The painting will be auctioned on May 3, by Sotheby's chairman Geoffrey Smith.

"North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko", "Mount William and part of the Grampians in West Victoria", "Weatherboard Creek Falls", "Jamieson's Valley", "New South Wales", "Mount Kosciusko", "Seen from the Victorian border", "Tower Hill" are some of Eugene von Guérard's notable works on Australian landscapes and vegetation. 

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