Martens Collection

Conrad Martens (1801-1878) was a dynamic landscape artist whose remarkable journey took him from London to Australia. After his father's death in 1816, he traded a life of commerce for the vibrant world of art, training under the esteemed Copley Fielding. His adventures began with the HMS Hyacinth and later the legendary HMS Beagle, where he forged a friendship with Charles Darwin. Arriving in Sydney in 1835, Martens quickly captivated audiences with stunning paintings of the Australian landscape, from the breathtaking Sydney Harbour to the rugged cliffs of the Blue Mountains, solidifying his place as a beloved figure in art history.

Visual arts

Collection highlights

A beach on an overcast day with a stream of sunlight and water crashing on rocks. 4 people on the beach in 2 groups with 3 small boats in the background.

Conrad Martens, View nr Charmouth, Dorset, 1825, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134391843

A watercolour creek with water flowing gently under a bridge with two people looking down at the water.

Conrad Martens, Lansdowne Bridge over Prospect Creek near Liverpool, NSW, 1836, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134387680

A port in a bay with rolling mountains in the background. the bay has various sized boats.

Conrad Martens, Valparaiso, 1834, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134388640

Key items in the collection

This collection hosts a range of formats, including:

We hold 145 original works by Conrad Martens, including:

4 oil paintings
91 watercolours
51 drawings (in sepia wash, pencil, or wash)
Several lithographs

Works created in Australia

About 70 of these works (dating from 1835 to 1876) were created in Australia and include:

Watercolours of:
Paintings of notable buildings:
Sketches:
- Two pencil sketches of the funeral of Phillip Parker King in Sydney (1856)
Other locations:
- Bathurst Road
- Hartley
- Lennox Bridge (Lapstone Hill)
- Hawkesbury River
- Camden Park
- Lake Illawarra
- Bungonia
- Molong
- Mount Wingen

A few works were created during trips to Moreton Bay and Tasmania, showcasing views of:

Brisbane
The Glasshouse Mountains
Cunningham’s Gap
Coal mines in Tasman’s Peninsula

Works from South America

Several pieces date back to 1832-1835, during Martens' travels in South American waters and the Pacific. These include:

Early watercolours

The Library also has a collection of early watercolours Martens created during sketching trips in:

These works include:

General landscapes
Coastal scenes
Studies of castles, bridges, boats, sailing ships, and horses
Views of specific locations like:
- Chagford and East Lynn (Devon)
- Dulverton and Minehead (Somerset)
- Chideock and Portland (Dorset)

There are also several figure studies.

We have 30 books that originally belonged to Martens. Most are signed by him, with a few containing handwritten notes or inserts, particularly regarding the works of John Ruskin. The books, published between 1777 and 1860, focus on:

Art history
Painting and drawing techniques
Colour and pigments

Notable authors include:

Allan Cunningham
Charles Eastlake
William Gilpin
Charles Hayter
John Opie
John Ruskin
Ralph Wornum

About Conrad Martens

Conrad Martens (1801-1878) was born in London to a German merchant family. After the death of his father in 1816, Conrad chose to follow his passion for art instead of pursuing a career in business. Inspired by his two brothers, he trained as a watercolour artist under Copley Fielding, a prominent art teacher in London.

In the early 1820s, Conrad and his mother moved to a village near Exeter in Devon. Over the next decade, he explored the stunning landscapes of Devon and neighbouring counties, sketching as he went. His talent gained recognition, and in 1833, he exhibited his work with the Royal Society of British Artists in London.

Adventures abroad

In May 1833, Conrad embarked on a new adventure when he joined HMS Hyacinth for a voyage to the East Indies. After two months, he disembarked in Rio de Janeiro and travelled to Montevideo. There, he replaced Augustus Earle as the artist on the surveying ship HMS Beagle, captained by Robert FitzRoy. During this time, he developed a close friendship with Charles Darwin, who was also aboard. After leaving the Beagle in Valparaiso in 1834, Conrad continued his travels to Tahiti and New Zealand before finally arriving in Sydney in April 1835. Although he hadn’t planned to stay, Australia became his home for the rest of his life.

Life and work in Australia

Settling in Sydney, Conrad quickly embraced his new surroundings. He began sketching trips to the Blue Mountains, Illawarra, and Broken Bay, capturing the natural beauty of the region. Opening a studio in Sydney, he gained a clientele of wealthy landowners and merchants who commissioned paintings of their homes and estates.

During the economic depression of the 1840s, Conrad faced financial challenges and shifted his focus away from commercial work. To supplement his income, he created lithographs, including Sketches in the Environs of Sydney (1850) and Sketches Illustrative of the Scenery of New South Wales (1851). In 1851, he undertook a significant sketching tour through the Darling Downs and visited Brisbane several times. His contributions to the community were recognised when he was appointed deputy parliamentary librarian in 1862.

Lasting impact as an artist

For nearly forty years, Conrad Martens was regarded as the leading landscape artist in New South Wales. His work maintained a remarkable level of quality throughout his career. While his early paintings of Sydney followed the picturesque style popular at the time, he later aimed to capture the dramatic beauty of his landscapes, similar to the renowned artist Turner.

Conrad’s numerous paintings of Sydney Harbour showcased his fascination with the effects of light, clouds, and storms. Although he painted various properties in the western plains and northern tablelands, he was particularly drawn to the striking gorges and cliffs of the Blue Mountains, as well as the picturesque bays and shores of Sydney Harbour. His legacy continues to influence Australian art today.

Background to the collection

The Petherick Collection was acquired in 1909 and includes three pencil drawings by Conrad Martens.

In 1959, the Nan Kivell Collection was purchased, featuring 100 original works by Martens. This collection includes nearly all of his non-Australian works, along with several lithographs.

From around 1947 to 2004, more of Martens' paintings and drawings were acquired through auctions and dealers. Several pieces were also donated by individuals, including:

Victor Bonham Carter (1953)
Sir Edward Samson (1961)
Ursula Hoff (1976)
M.B. Boyd (1979)
Monica Newman (2002)

In 1983, a small collection of books that belonged to Conrad Martens was purchased from Sydney booksellers Timothy and Anne McCormick.

Conrad Martens' paintings, drawings, and prints are kept in the Pictures Collection. Each item has been catalogued individually, and most have been digitised.

The collection of books and manuscript fragments can be found in the Manuscripts Collection (MS 6864).

Conrad Martens' paintings and drawings are located in the La Trobe Library (State Library of Victoria) and the Mitchell Library (State Library of New South Wales), along with many major art galleries across Australia. The Mitchell Library also has a collection of his notebooks and letters.

This guide was prepared using these references:

Susanna De Vries, Conrad Martens: on the Beagle and in Australia, Brisbane, Pandanus, 1993
Douglas Dundas, The Art of Conrad Martens, Melbourne, Macmillan, 1979
Elizabeth Ellis, Conrad Martens: life & art, Sydney, State Library of New South Wales Press, 1994
Joan Kerr, The dictionary of Australian artists, Oxford University Press, 1992, pp. 513-16