John Olsen and Brett Lichtenstein’s paths first crossed in the 1970s. John at that time, was represented by Australian Galleries*, where Brett was regularly commissioned to create bespoke frames for a variety of artists in their stable. At the time run by Anne Purvis and then her son Stuart, Australian Galleries still represents acclaimed Australian artists.
John in the 1970’s was a well-known artist exhibiting to critical acclaim. He had lived and shown in Sydney since 1955 when he returned home from Europe, where he lived and painted during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1970 he was commissioned by the Sir William Dobell Foundation to create the famed mural “Salute to Five Bells” at the Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1973.
In 1989 Brett Lichtenstein was commissioned to water-gild a selection of artworks acquired for the opening of the new ANA Hotel (now the Shangri-La Hotel) in Sydney’s Rocks district. Some of John’s artworks were in that collection and Brett designed a bespoke frame molding for them which he called ‘the Olsen frame’.
Brett and Melissa began working with John in 2001, digitising and fine art printing some of John’s artwork. The first limited edition, fine art reproduction they made and sold was of John Olsen’s acclaimed “Sydney Sun, 1965”.
Read more on The Art of Fine Art Reproduction
The original artwork was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 2000. A large, panelled triptych the painting had been in private hands since 1965.
* John is currently represented by The Olsen Gallery.
JOHN OLSEN
John Olsen has been the elder statesman of contemporary Australian art for the last 10 years. In 2017 the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery New South Wales held a major retrospective celebrating John’s magnificent seven decade long artistic career.
John Olsen. Sydney Sun, 1965. © John Olsen Estate
John Olsen is highly recognised nationally and internationally as one of Australia’s most significant and accomplished landscape artists. Edmund Capon, the former Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, once said;
“John is absolutely the glass half-full artist. His paintings make life a joy to behold. They simply burst with spirit. Never has nature copulated with such fun, fantasy and creativity than in Olsen’s paintings.”
John has been awarded an Order of Australia (A.O) and O.B.E for services to the arts and an Australian Creative Fellowship. He won the Wynne prize in both 1969 and 1985, in 2005 he was awarded the Archibald prize for his self-portrait.
Over the decades, Brett Lichtenstein and John Olsen became firm friends, but unlike the shows he framed for Brett Whiteley, Arthur Boyd and Jeffrey Smart, John Olsen never commissioned Brett to frame his specific exhibitions, although he framed various artworks by John Olsen over the years for private collectors.
John was however, a great admirer of Brett Lichtenstein’s water-gilding, digital reproduction skills and critical eye, and trusted Brett and Melissa to make limited edition, fine art reproductions of some his work with care and sensitivity.
Friends for more than 22 years, and both living in the Southern Highlands, they all shared a genuine fondness and friendship, Brett’s untimely death in 2020 came as shock to John. Today Melissa continues to work to promote and sell the John Olsen Limited editions they have made together.
After a celebrated career and long full life, John Olsen sadly passed away in April 2023 aged 95 at his home in Bowral.