This portrait of Virginia Spate in acrylic and pastel was done in 2021, some months before she died. It depicts three ‘faces’ of Virginia to try to capture her in a more complete way. Here is also one of the charcoal sketches done to prepare for the painting.
Virginia was an outstanding art historian and was the first woman art historian at the University of Sydney. She wrote the most comprehensive book on Monet (The Colour of Time: Claude Monet Thames & Hudson, London, 1992), for which she received the prestigious USA Mitchell Prize, the only Australian to receive this award. In 2003 she was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and in 2001 was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of art history.
Virginia was generous with her expertise – her students saw her as a remarkable lecturer and in a recent interview Sebastian Smee recalled standing in front of a Berthe Moresot for 40 minutes discussing its contents with Virginia. This was the longest time he thinks he had spent looking at one work, without losing attention
I was privileged to count Virginia as a close friend in her later life. I met her through a friend who asked me to join a choir ‘Pyrmont Sings’. Despite all her academic achievements, it immediately became clear that Virginia was a warm earthy person. I remember my first night at choir when I said to her that I was a bit nervous. She said ‘Don’t worry, I was fucking terrified on my first night ‘.
In her last few years, Virginia became very fragile and sadly developed the beginnings of dementia. We still went regularly to dinner, and she had many interesting stories including those of her childhood in Burma where her father was stationed during WW2. I never tired of her company – she was witty, cheeky and interested in the things immediately around her. The colour of the sky, the blossoming jacarandas, the feeling of the bark on the trees and the expression on people’s faces which often led back to talk about Daumier. She was engaged with her community, patting dogs, greeting people on the streets including the old men with their long-necked bottles wrapped in brown paper.
I miss Virginia’s company.