Hugh David Sawrey (Australia, 1919-1999), "The Cutter", oil on canvas

sight: 30 x 40 in.,  frame: 33 x 43 in.

Provenance: Property from the Estate of Helen Kleberg Groves, horsewoman and cattle rancher (1927-2022), San Antonio, Texas

Hugh David Sawrey, CBE (1919–1999), was an Australian artist renowned for his vivid paintings and murals that preserve the rugged landscapes and people of Australia’s outback, capturing a vanishing way of life. After leaving school at 15 to work as a drover and shearer across Queensland and the Northern Territory, Sawrey served in the Australian Army and Air Force during World War II. Following the war, he began painting murals and smaller works inspired by his firsthand experiences in rural Australia, studying under Brisbane artist Caroline Barker when he committed to art full-time in 1964. Sawrey gained national and international recognition for his detailed depictions of stockmen, horses, and outback scenes, exhibiting widely and representing Australia at London’s Tryon Gallery. He was also the founder and chairman of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, an institution dedicated to celebrating Australian rural heritage. His work is held in major public and private collections worldwide, and he was honored with a CBE in 1989 for his services to the arts.