During the early-mid 20th century, artists and designers like Adrian Feint, Gert Sellheim, Douglas Annand, Eileen Mayo and others developed motifs to iconically represent Australian identity for publicity purposes. Barrier Reef motifs became quite popular in this context.
'The Home' magazine (1920-1942) was a sophisticate and stylish magazine. It's visually alluring covers were designed by the most inventive commercial artists of the day and although a major theme of the magazine at this time was a new 'feminine framework' established for the magazine through cover designs by Thea Proctor and Hera Roberts, there was also great graphic diversity in the covers, with some promoting the natural beauty and the travel opportunities offered within Australia.
This cover is one of many artist-designed covers commissioned by editor Sydney Ure Smith for the magazine and for which it became renowned. Today early 'Home' magazine covers are still considered the epitome design publishing excellence in Australia.

Design and execution of the artwork is by the commercial artist Adrian Feint (1894-1971) for 'The Home' magazine for the issue of May 1st 1928. Feint, with the other premier commercial artists of the period like Thea Proctor, Hera Roberts and Douglas Annand was commissioned to design multiple covers for 'The Home' magazine from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. He and his contemporaries brought a new sophistication to magazine cover design in Australia and as Robert Holden in his catalogue to the exhibition 'Cover Up: The Art of Magazine Covers in Australia' (in which the Feint cover was exhibited) writes 'the magazine itself has remained a byword for style and sophistication in the public mind and its 230 or so covers were the principal purveyors of these timeless qualities'. In the context of 'The Home' Feint was principally known for his images of archetypal glamorous women of the era but this design is still amongst his very best. Its expression of peaceful, untrammelled and unchanged nature evoking the beauty of an underwater environment that continues to fascinate and inspire has become a powerful image and icon in the Australian pysche.

The commercial artist Adrian Feint was commissioned by Sydney Ure Smith, leading patron of art and design and editor of 'The Home' magazine in the 1920s and 30s.

The artwork is signed in top left-hand corner 'Adrian Feint '27'. It was commissioned for use as the cover design for 'The Home' magazine and appears on the cover of 'Vol 9 No 5 May 1st 1928' issue.

The artwork was included in the travelling exhibition curated by Robert Holden 'Cover Up: The Art of Magazine Covers in Australia' first held at the Greenway Gallery at the Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney in 1995 which then toured to Melbourne and Canberra.

Purchased by vendor from friends and antiquarian book and print dealers, Anne and Tim McCormick, who later presented her with the magazine as a gift.

The artwork was previously owned by Victoria Ross, Bowral (048) 882323 and prior to that purchased from dealers Anne and Tim McCormick.

Artwork, 'Barrier Reef Fish' for magazine cover, and magazine, 'The Home' May 1st 1928, watercolour/paper, Adrian Feint (artist) for 'The Home' magazine/Sydney Ure Smith (ed.), Sydney, Australia, 1927-1928
-1 Artwork
-2 Magazine

Made: Feint, Adrian; Australia; 1927 - 1928

See individual part records for details

97/74/1

1927 - 1928