Danila Vassilieff

DANILA VASSILIEFF

Danila Vassilieff (1897-1958) was a Russian born painter and sculptor. He served on the
Eastern Front with a Cossack cavalry regiment in 1917, which influenced both his
behaviour and reputation as exuberant, resilient, a womaniser; fearless. He made his way
from Russia across to China and eventually to Australia where he was naturalised in 1929.
He studied art in Brazil (1930-31) and exhibited in the West Indies, South America,
England, Spain and Portugal.
Returning to Australia in October 1935, he settled in Sydney. He worked as a full time
artist, his style expressive, intuitive, turbulent and emotionally charged. He held two solo
exhibitions of his paintings at the renowned Macquarie Gallery in central Sydney in 1937.
Vassilieff painted inner city streetscapes, with people engaged in daily activities. Vassilieff
then moved to Melbourne and was welcomed into the Heide circle of John and Sunday
Reed. Through his attacks on conventional art and insistence that the instincts of the artist
were more important than the intellect or aesthetics of the artwork. He is known as a major
player in the Angry Penguins, which was a modernist artistic and literary movement that
championed experimental art, surrealism, and expressionism to challenge conservative
cultural standards. Led by Max Harris and supported by patrons John and Sunday Reed,
the group included artists Sidney Nolan and Albert Tucker.
Keen-eyed, sallow and lean, he wore a beret perched on one side of his head and spoke
broken English in a low, resonant voice. He patronised other artists buying their artwork.
He was the first person to purchase a Charles Blackman artwork at his inaugural coach
house show. He was famous for once biting the head off a parrot at a party. He died of a
coronary occlusion on 22 March 1958 at Heide. His work is represented in major
Australian galleries, has been subject of various retrospective exhibitions and publications.
This extraordinary painting of Circular Quay (40 x 51 cms) was painted on site around
1936, while Vassilieff lived in Sydney and uniquely captures an iconic Australian landmark.
Compared to historical photographs of the era, there are many buildings that can be
recognised and some are still there today, such as Customs House. His dry brush strokes
on the rough gesso surface of the canvas lend to a sense of immediacy. The painting of
Sydney is definitely a unique gem and is both an excellent and typical example of his
brilliant expressionist and modernist artwork. The picture comes from the personal art
collection of Christabel Blackman, daughter of Charles Blackman.