Plein Airs and Graces

Plein Airs and Graces examines the extraordinary life of George Collingridge de Tourcey, a landscape painter of the late nineteenth century, just ahead of the Australian impressionists. When he emigrated from France to Australia he grew passionate about the possibilities of his new country, and worked tirelessly to contribute to it - not least for his Discovery of Australia (1895), in which on the evidence of ancient maps he argued controversially for Portuguese and Hispanic pre-discovery of Australia.

Includes 28 full-colour illustrations.

Shortlisted for the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards in the Non-fiction category

Praise for Plein Airs and Graces:
'As well as a well written biography and art journal, this is an excellent history book dealing with such diverse subjects as town planning, exploration, religious growth in Australia, politics, immigration and economics. The story carries the reader along painlessly. Excerpts from Collingridge’s own writing, himself a prolific self-publisher, are also an enticing read.' – Heather Stone, Bonzer

'His book is beautifully illustrated with full colour plates of the artist’s magnificent paintings of early Sydney. This is a volume to treasure.' - Mary Ann Elliott, The Chronicle, Toowoomba

'Very readable ... belongs in any art lovers collection ... Fascinating stuff ... This biography by Adrian Mitchell ... is obviously a labour of love and he has done a wonderful job of bringing this most interesting man to life.' - Lisa Hill, ANZLitLovers

'… a must-read biography for all fans of Australian art ... Plein Air and Graces is a straightforward and historical biography which is also a colourful companion for every Australian art enthusiast.' - Stephen Davenport, Indaily

Adrian Mitchell has had a long career at the University of Sydney, where he is now an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of English. Among many projects, he edited Bards in the Wilderness: Australian Colonial Poetry to 1920 together with Brian Elliott, and with Leonie Kramer edited the Oxford Anthology of Australian Literature. He is the author of Drawing the Crow, a book of essays about what it meant to be South Australian in the 50s and 60s, and of Dampier's Monkey: The South Seas Voyages of William Dampier.