Bendigo Art Gallery has rejected a painting of the bare-knuckled boxer the city was named after because of conditions placed on its display by a mystery owner.
The owner is at odds with the Bendigo Art Gallery, claiming it baulked at displaying the portrait of William Abednego Thompson because of the cost.
He also urged the City of Greater Bendigo to step in to ensure the public were able to view the painting.
But the Bendigo Art Gallery has hit back, saying they are council’s advisers on all matters relating to the visual arts and therefore have the final say.
A spokesman for the owner said they were surprised the gallery had rejected the loan offer for the oil painting.
“No reason or reasons were provided as to why they reached such a decision and the owners’ representative was never contacted during the gallery’s deliberations,” he said.
“The owners will now reconsider their options but are more than happy that the painting has been secured, is in Bendigo, but it may not again be made available to the Bendigo Art Gallery given their recalcitrant attitude.
“Perhaps our council needs to intervene to ensure this significant work which relates to Bendigo’s earliest history and naming, is made available within the gallery for the general public to see and enjoy. It seems the gallery’s director and board disagree.”
The spokesman said it was not uncommon for conditions to be placed on artworks as part of a loan offer.
“Understandably the owners placed several conditions that accompanied the loan offer, which included the gallery being responsible for framing the painting and attending to its conservation, actions which any art gallery would attend to in relation to works to be exhibited.
“The offer also included a request for a nominal annual fee to be paid during the loan term, which may have been the main reason why the offer was rejected.
“However one of the conditions made it clear that if any of the other conditions were unacceptable, the owners were prepared to negotiate.
“Another condition indicated the owners would ultimately offer the painting to the Bendigo Art Gallery for purchase by them, and the nominal loan fees would be deducted from the agreed price at that future time.”
Bendigo Art Gallery president John Higgs said the terms and conditions of the offer were unreasonable.
He said an agreement had been reached with council 10 years ago regarding the gallery.
“In the agreement the gallery board is the advisory committee to the council on all matters relating to the visual arts,” Mr Higgs said.
Frank Cusack’s Bendigo a History details the origins of the city’s name.
“There seems no reason to doubt . . . that the creek derived its name from an employee of the Mount Alexander North run, an ex-sailor . . . who being handy with his fists, was nicknamed, `Bendigo’,” Cusack writes.
The Bendigo Art Gallery is unlikely to again host the Archibald Prize next year. The gallery has hosted the prestigious portrait exhibition for the past two years.
Bendigo Art Gallery president John Higgs said it appeared likely the award would not leave the Art Gallery of New South Wales in future.
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