9 by 5 Impression Exhibition

The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition was an art exhibition in Melbourne, Australia. The exhibition was opened on 17 August 1889 in Buxton's Rooms on Swanston Street and featured 183 works; the majority of which were painted by the Australian impressionists Tom Roberts, Charles Conder and Arthur Streeton. The exhibition was named for the dimensions of most of the paintings— 9 by 5 inches (23 cm × 13 cm), the size of a cigar box lid upon which many of the works were painted— and the Impressionist inspiration for the works.

The exhibition created much lively commentary at the time and is now seen as a "celebrated event in Australian art history". 9 by 5s continue to appear on the market; in 2009, Conder's Centennial Choir at Sorrento (cat. 151) sold at Sotheby's for A$492,000. In 2012, to mark the 123rd anniversary of the exhibition, arts benefactor Max Carter donated four 9 by 5s (valued at over A$3,000,000) to the Art Gallery of South Australia, the largest group of 9 by 5s ever given to an Australian public institution.

Gallery of 9 by 5s

Charles Conder, All on a summer's day, 1888, National Gallery of Australia Charles Conder, All on a summer's day, 1888, National Gallery of Australia  Charles Conder, An Impressionist (Tom Roberts), 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales Charles Conder, An Impressionist (Tom Roberts), 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales  Charles Conder, Arcadia, 1889, private collection Charles Conder, Arcadia, 1889, private collection  Charles Conder, Centennial Choir at Sorrento, 1889, private collection Charles Conder, Centennial Choir at Sorrento, 1889, private collection  Charles Conder, Dandenongs from Heidelberg, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia Charles Conder, Dandenongs from Heidelberg, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia  Charles Conder, Going Home, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Charles Conder, Going Home, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Charles Conder, Herrick's Blossoms, 1888, National Gallery of Australia Charles Conder, Herrick's Blossoms, 1888, National Gallery of Australia  Charles Conder, How We Lost Poor Flossie, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia Charles Conder, How We Lost Poor Flossie, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia  Charles Conder, Impressionists' camp, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Charles Conder, Impressionists' camp, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Charles Conder, Riddell's Creek, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Charles Conder, Riddell's Creek, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Tom Roberts, Across the Dandenongs, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Tom Roberts, Across the Dandenongs, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Tom Roberts, Andante, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia Tom Roberts, Andante, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia  Tom Roberts, By the Treasury, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Tom Roberts, By the Treasury, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Tom Roberts, Evening train to Hawthorn, 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales Tom Roberts, Evening train to Hawthorn, 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales  Tom Roberts, Fog, Thames Embankment, 1884, Art Gallery of New South Wales Tom Roberts, Fog, Thames Embankment, 1884, Art Gallery of New South Wales  Tom Roberts, Going Home, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Tom Roberts, Going Home, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Tom Roberts, Harper's Weekly, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Tom Roberts, Harper's Weekly, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Tom Roberts, Mentone, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Tom Roberts, Mentone, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Tom Roberts, The violin lesson, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Tom Roberts, The violin lesson, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Arthur Streeton, Brander's Ferry, 1889, private collection Arthur Streeton, Brander's Ferry, 1889, private collection  Arthur Streeton, Evening game, 1889, private collection Arthur Streeton, Evening game, 1889, private collection  Arthur Streeton, Hoddle Street to Junction, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Arthur Streeton, Hoddle Street to Junction, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Arthur Streeton, Impression for ′Golden Summer′, 1888, Benalla Art Gallery Arthur Streeton, Impression for ′Golden Summer′, 1888, Benalla Art Gallery  Arthur Streeton, The National Game, 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales Arthur Streeton, The National Game, 1889, Art Gallery of New South Wales  Arthur Streeton, Orange, blue and white, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia Arthur Streeton, Orange, blue and white, 1889, Art Gallery of South Australia  Arthur Streeton, Pastoral in yellow and grey- a colour impression of Templestowe, 1889, National Gallery of Australia Arthur Streeton, Pastoral in yellow and grey- a colour impression of Templestowe, 1889, National Gallery of Australia  Arthur Streeton, Princess & Burke & Wills, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Arthur Streeton, Princess & Burke & Wills, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria  Arthur Streeton, Residence of J. Walker, Esq., Gembrook, 1888, National Gallery of Victoria Arthur Streeton, Residence of J. Walker, Esq., Gembrook, 1888, National Gallery of Victoria  Arthur Streeton, Sandridge, 1888, National Gallery of Australia Arthur Streeton, Sandridge, 1888, National Gallery of Australia  Arthur Streeton, Windy and Wet, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria Arthur Streeton, Windy and Wet, 1889, National Gallery of Victoria

External links

• Exhibition catalogue, designed by Charles Conder
• 9 by 5 exhibition at the Heidelberg Artists Society