Ernest William Christmas (Australian, 1863-1918)

Signed: E.W. Christmas, ‘98, (lower, right)

“ Coolibah Tree by a Billabong at Sunset “, 1898

Oil on canvas laid on masonite

36 1/16" x 24 1/8"

Housed in a 3" Carved Frame

Overall Size: 41 1/2" x 29 1/2"

Appears to be in very good original condition with fresh, bright coloring with interesting brushwork.

This certainly could have been inspired by the poem/song by Andrew Barton " Banjo " Paterson, " Waltzing Matilda,” written in 1895, just a few years before the execution of this work.

" Once a Jolly Swagman Camped by a Billabong, Under the Shade of a Coolibah Tree "

Ernest W. Christmas was born near Adelaide, South Australia, in 1863 and received his early art lessons in Adelaide and Sydney. He was greatly influenced by the realistic works of Henry James Johnston (English/Australian, 1835-1907), as is evident by the Johnston painting, " A Billabong in the Goulburn Valley, Victoria, Australia, oil on canvas, 1878, sold at Sotheby's, Sydney, on March 20, 2019, for $ 74,900.

Christmas moved to Kalgoorlie in 1894, just after the discovery of gold in that area, and lived there until 1900. After that, he traveled widely and died in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1918.