The artist sketchbook of Burnley drawings portray dynamic and colourful views of the suburb’s key industrial sites in the 60s and 70s along Swan Street.
These include Burnley Flour Mills, Burnley Timber Yard and the David Mitchell Cement works; all no longer in existence. The Burnley railway line is also depicted, which was used as the loading and unloading point for bricketts (used for fuel) and other materials. Marcuse's paintings and drawings demonstrate his consummate technical skill and knowledge of industrial subjects - to the extent that he could depict his subjects, scenes and landscapes quite accurately from a topographical perspective, even though he was confined to the view from the ground.
About the artist
Born in Berlin, Ernest Marcuse (1900–85) studied at the Berlin School of Interior Design & Cabinetmaking and at the Reimann School before working as a freelance commercial artist, specialising in architectural, industrial and figurative drawing. He arrived in Australia with his wife as a refugee in October 1939, working as a freelance commercial and graphic artist. He then became a full time practicing artist from around the late 60s until his unexpected death in 1985 in Queenscliff. Both during his career and after, Marcuse painted many landmark sites around Melbourne including the construction of some key civic infrastructure projects; these include the National Gallery of Victoria, the Victorian Art Centre and the West Gate Bridge.
His work is represented in numerous collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, Australian War Memorial, Sydney Jewish Museum and Jewish Holocaust Museum.
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Peter Marcuse
The artist sketchbook of Burnley drawings portray dynamic and colourful views of the suburb’s key industrial sites in the 60s and 70s along Swan Street.
These include Burnley Flour Mills, Burnley Timber Yard and the David Mitchell Cement works; all no longer in existence. The Burnley railway line is also depicted, which was used as the loading and unloading point for bricketts (used for fuel) and other materials. Marcuse's paintings and drawings demonstrate his consummate technical skill and knowledge of industrial subjects - to the extent that he could depict his subjects, scenes and landscapes quite accurately from a topographical perspective, even though he was confined to the view from the ground.
About the artist
Born in Berlin, Ernest Marcuse (1900–85) studied at the Berlin School of Interior Design & Cabinetmaking and at the Reimann School before working as a freelance commercial artist, specialising in architectural, industrial and figurative drawing. He arrived in Australia with his wife as a refugee in October 1939, working as a freelance commercial and graphic artist. He then became a full time practicing artist from around the late 60s until his unexpected death in 1985 in Queenscliff. Both during his career and after, Marcuse painted many landmark sites around Melbourne including the construction of some key civic infrastructure projects; these include the National Gallery of Victoria, the Victorian Art Centre and the West Gate Bridge.
His work is represented in numerous collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, City of Melbourne, Australian War Memorial, Sydney Jewish Museum and Jewish Holocaust Museum.
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Peter Marcuse
