I am pleased to announce today that the gift from the Government and people of Australia on the occasion of the marriage between His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Mrs Parker-Bowles is a work by the Artist Fred Williams.
Fred Williams (1927 - 1982) is considered one of Australia's greatest landscape artists, capturing in his work a unique vision of the essence of the Australian landscape.
Saplings 1962 was created soon after Williams' return to Australia from the UK, with a mission to "paint the gum tree", at a time when his interest in printmaking was at its peak.
During the 1960's Williams was inspired by the forested hills of Victoria around Melbourne. His Royal Highness would be familiar with this environment as a result of his time at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School.
In 2003 The British Museum mounted the exhibition Fred Williams: An Australian Vision, highlighting his achievements as a master printmaker, and the development of his iconic landscapes.
Fred Williams work is represented in all major public collections in Australia, as well as museums in Europe and America.