Lina Bryans

This babe is wise. The image below is a detail of the Lina Bryans portrait of Jean Campbell. Jean was noted in the literary world for her ‘quick and slightly acidulous wit’. She was an underdone female author from the 1930s. The LaTrobe Journal refers to her as one of the three neglected women writers of the 30s.

| Lina Bryans, This babe is wise, oil on cardboard, 1940, detail |

Enough about the babe. On the theme of neglected women, the free spirited painter Lina Bryans was creating portraits of influential cultural types in Melbourne – a strong colourist.  The landscapes are even better. Unfortunately the decorative word was often used.  So she was overlooked. A problem generally for modern women. Gillian Forward is attempting to change all that in her great book called Lina Bryans: Rare Modern 1909-2000.

Julia Ritson