Dogs in Australian Art: Lecture by Steven Miller

As the artist Norman Lindsay confided to the poet Hugh MacRae, 'one can lose most human beings with less disturbance than a dog'.

Join us on Thursday 18 September from 6pm–7:15pm in the Roman Room, as Steven Miller, author and the former head of the National Art Archive at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, brings together a talk on how dogs have truly been 'the best friend' to artists, not only as subjects, but also as companions and champions.

Situated in Mayfair, London, David Roche knew the Kennel Club Art Gallery well. Back in Adelaide he established a rival collection of art and artefacts related to dogs. The works not only demonstrated his personal attachment to dogs, but also revealed their continuing importance to artists.

From colonial works through to contemporary installations, this lecture will explore how dogs have been artists’ greatest friends and inspirations. Dog lovers and art lovers alike won't want to miss this lecture event.

About the speaker

Steven Miller has published widely on art and his popular 'Dogs in Australian Art' is now into its 3rd expanded edition. For many years, he was the head of the National Art Archive at Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. He published the first history of the Art Gallery in 2021 to celebrate the institution's 150th anniversary. His other books have dealt with the first international blockbuster exhibition to visit Australia in 1939, which won the NSW Premier's History Award, women artists working between the two world wars, along with monographs on individual artists. In 2025 he is a Visiting Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales working on the Australian poet Francis Webb. He is the owner of the lovely Irish Terrier, Seamus.

Each ticket includes one beverage on arrival.

Limited parking available on-site.

Wheelchair accessible.

Banner image: Maud Earl (Britain/United States 1863-1943), Pointer at sunset, c.1900. The David Roche Collection; Steven Miller. Image supplied; Linda Tegg (Australia b.1979), Dachshund 2, 2008. Image courtesy of the artist & Sutton Gallery, Melbourne.