Colin McCahon (1919 New Zealand – 1987 New Zealand), Victory over death 2 1970. Painting, synthetic polymer paint on unstretched canvas, 207.5 h x 597.7 w cm. Gift of the New Zealand Government 1978.

National Gallery of Australia | Collection Video Tour | Twentieth-century Australian art

Colin McCahon, Victory over death 2 1970

Jessie Traill (1881 - 1967), The red light, Harbour Bridge, June 1931. Print, intaglio, plate-mark 32.8 h x 24.6 w cm, sheet 45.2 h x 32.6 w cm. Purchased 1987.

Jessie Traill, The red light, Harbour Bridge 1931

Sam Atyeo (1910 Melbourne – 1990 France), Organised line to yellow c.1933. Painting, oil on canvas, 68.0 h x 54.2 w cm. Purchased 1970. © Courtesy of Mrs Sam Atyeo.

Sam Atyeo, Organised line to yellow c.1933

Sidney Nolan (1917–1992), Boy and the moon [Moonboy] c.1939-40. Painting, oil on canvas, mounted on composition board, 73.3 h x 88.2 w cm. Purchased 1976. © Sidney Nolan Trust.

Sidney Nolan, Boy and the moon c.1939-40

Russell Drysdale (1912 England - 1981 Australia), Emus in a landscape 1950. Painting, oil on canvas, 101.6 h x 127.0 w. Purchased 1970. © Estate of Russell Drysdale.

Russell Drysdale, Emus in a landscape 1950

Russell Drysdale (England 1912 – Australia 1981), The drover's wife c.1945. Painting, oil on canvas, 51.5 h x 61.5 w cm. Gift of American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia, Inc., New York, NY, USA, made possible with the generous support of Mr and Mrs Benno Schmidt of New York and Esperance, Western Australia, 1987. © Estate of Russell Drysdale.

Russell Drysdale, The drover's wife c.1945

John Perceval (1923-2000), Boy with cat 2 1943. Painting, oil on composition board, 59.0 h x 43.8 w cm. Purchased 1970. Courtesy John Perceval / Ken McGregor.

John Perceval, Boy with cat 2 1943

Albert Tucker (1914–1999), Sunbathers 1944. Painting, oil on cardboard, 59.2 h x 86.0 w. Purchased 1981. © Barbara Tucker courtesy Barbara Tucker.

Albert Tucker, Sunbathers 1944

James Gleeson (1915 - 2008), The citadel 1945. Painting, oil on composition board, 182.5 h x 122.0 w cm, framed 197.3 h x 136.8 w cm. Purchased 1972.

James Gleeson, The citadel 1945

Peter Purves Smith (1912 - 1949), The diplomats 1939. Painting, oil on canvas, 40.5 h x 50.5 w cm. Gift of Lady Casey 1979.

Peter Purves Smith, The diplomats 1939

James Cant (1911 - 1982), Objects in a landscape 1936. Painting, oil on canvas, 121.8 h x 96.5 w cm. Purchased 1995.

James Cant, Objects in a landscape 1936

Roy de Maistre (1894 - 1968), New Atlantis c.1933. Painting, oil and scraffito on canvas, 135.5 h x 153.0 w cm. Purchased 2006. © Caroline de Mestre Walker.

Roy de Maistre, New Atlantis c.1933

Margaret Preston (1875 - 1963), Dry river bed NT 1953. Print, stencil, printed image 30.0 h x 34.8 w cm, sheet 34.0 h x 37.0 w cm. Purchased 2000. © Margaret Rose Preston Estate. Licensed by Viscopy.

Margaret Preston, Dry river bed NT 1953

Margaret Preston (1875 - 1963), Flying over the Shoalhaven River [Flying over the Shoalhaven] 1942. Painting, oil on canvas 50.6 h x 50.6 w, framed 68.6 h x 68.6 w x 6.8 d cm. Purchased 1973. © Margaret Rose Preston Estate. Licensed by Viscopy.

Margaret Preston, Flying over the Shoalhaven River 1942

Grace Cossington Smith (1892 - 1984), The Bridge in building 1929-30. Painting, oil on pulpboard, 75.0 h x 53.0 w cm, framed 88.4 h x 66.2 w x 4.7 d cm. Gift of Ellen Waugh 2005.

Grace Cossington Smith, The Bridge in building 1929-30

The National Gallery of Australia is one of the world's most recently established national galleries. It opened to the public in 1982, after little more than a decade of collecting. The Gallery now holds the nation's largest and most valuable collection of art.

National Gallery of Australia | Collection Video Tour | Twen...