Discovering Dobell offers an intimate glimpse of William Dobell, the artist whose heart remained anchored in the daily life of everyday people, from the streets of Depression-raked London to Sydney’s Kings Cross.

Christopher Heathcote demonstrates how Dobell developed ideas from sketches to paintings. In some instances the book identifies previously unknown relationships between drawings, gouaches and important oils.

Discovering Dobell features the artist’s controversial and recognisable portraits of Joshua Smith, Dame Mary Gilmore and Helena Rubinstein, alongside other vital strands of his output, including affectionate images of grinning ockers, struggling young mothers, cheeky street children at play, and haughty women intent on keeping-up-appearances. This overview is rounded out with Dobell’s experimental drawings and paintings from New Guinea, as well as his little-known ventures into abstract form.

This book introduces the creative achievements of this great Australian painter for a new generation of art lovers.