Historical information

Arthur William Glass known as Peter was born August 28, 1917.

During the 1930s, Peter Glass and a young Graeme Bell were studying painting under Max Meldrum. Graeme Bell at that time was undecided whether to devote his life to music or painting.

In 1938, inspired by what they had seen at 'Montsalvat', Peter Glass along with Graeme and Roger Bell (whose names were to become internationally known as the leaders of Australia's most famous jazz band) agreed to purchase land at Eltham to build themselves a mud brick house.

For some time, Eltham had been their chosen place for painting and sketching, but it was not until they visited the 'Jorgensen Colony', as it was then known, and saw the possibilities of building in earth, that they decided to establish a permanent base in Eltham. In July, the three of them bought a few acres of land at the top of John Street and started making mud bricks for a proposed sixty square sized house.

Following the Second World War, Peter Glass returned in 1946 to live permanently in Eltham. He resumed work on building of the adobe house which he had commenced before the war. During some years spent in England and France he married a French girl and on returning to Eltham he built another adobe house in which he lived with his wife, Cecile Madeleine, and two children, Julian and Marie-Luce on land adjoining the original house.

Peter Glass died in December 1997 aged 80, his wife Cecile in 2006, aged 79. They are memorialised in Eltham Cemetery.

Much of the inspiration for his landscape painting comes from the Eltham bush and the Yarra flowing through it.

Physical description

oil on chipboard
33 x 40.5 x 1.0 cm
Signed 'Peter Glass in red paint lower right of centre
Evidence of some paint rub-off at edges from previous frame mounting (frame removed).

Inscriptions & markings

Reverse side painted in pale yellow cream and inscribed:
'Summer Landscape - 1968
Kangaroo Ground' in black paint