Lucien Henry was a Beaux-Arts graduate, Paris Communard and exile who settled in Sydney in 1879 and made a vital contribution to the local art scene. Fascinated by the pictorial possibilities of native flora and fauna – especially the waratah, the floral emblem of New South Wales – Henry produced superlative designs for stained glass, interior décor, architecture and items of applied art.

He also created this striking, highly-detailed painting, Waratah, with its scarlet bloom set against an intricate turquoise-and-gold geometric Islamic-style pattern. It was exhibited in 1887 at the Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Art Society of NSW.

A2 size poster print
Paper size: H59.4 x W42 cm
Image size: H49 x W34cm
Exclusive to the Gallery Shop

Lucien Henry (France, Australia 1850-1896) Waratah 1887 Oil on wood, 51 x 35cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, gift of Marcel Aurousseau 1983 Poster © Art Gallery of New South Wales