Adventurous, provocative, fearless: Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 opens in Sydney

Opening tomorrow, the Art Gallery of New South Wales presents the landmark exhibition Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940. Developed in partnership with the Art Gallery of South Australia, Dangerously Modern writes a new chapter in Australia’s art history, uncovering the art and stories of the first wave of women who trained as professional artists abroad. Seeking new challenges and freedoms, they left Australia for the art centres of Europe, contributing to the development of international modernism and bringing transformative ideas back home.

Installation view of the Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 exhibition, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio

With more than 200 paintings, prints, drawings, ceramics and sculptures – including works exhibited for the first time in over 100 years – Dangerously Modern traces the journeys of 50 adventurous women artists who defied the gendered expectations of their time. The women studied, created and exhibited art in Europe during a period of immense societal and technological change, marked by the emergence of film, automobiles, airplanes, recorded music, radio and the discovery of penicillin.

The period from 1890 to 1940 was marked by significant upheaval, including the First World War, the Great Depression and the Second World War. It was also a pivotal era for the women’s suffrage movement, which saw major victories: women were granted the right to vote in New Zealand in 1893, Australia in 1902 and the United Kingdom in 1928 (followed by France in 1944).

In the arts, naturalism, impressionism, fauvism, cubism, realism and abstraction emerged, overlapped and competed for an artist’s attention. From the avant-garde salons of Paris to the bohemian circles of London, and from the windswept coast of Ireland to the battlefields of wartime Europe, the women exhibited in Dangerously Modern immersed themselves in these movements and ideas. They took advantage of new educational and career opportunities and, if doors remained shut to them, they supported and encouraged each other to cut their own paths.

The exhibition features well-known and beloved Australian artists such as Grace Cossington Smith, Grace Crowley, Nora Heysen and Margaret Preston alongside lesser-known and under-recognised names including Agnes Goodsir, Justine Kong Sing, Iso Rae, Eleanor Ritchie Harrison and Helen Stewart, among many others.

New discoveries include the only known surviving major painting by high-profile 19th-century artist Eleanor Ritchie Harrison; recently found Irish scenes by Margaret Preston, brought back from London; and the earliest cubist landscape by an Australian artist, painted by Mary Cockburn Mercer in 1925 and rediscovered in Germany. One highlight is a group of remarkable post-impressionist paintings by Aotearoa New Zealand–born artist Edith Collier, who trained with Margaret Preston and lived and worked with Preston and her companion, Gladys Reynell; Collier is exhibited for the first time in Australia in Dangerously Modern.

Installation view of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio

Art Gallery of New South Wales director Maud Page said: ‘This exhibition writes a fresh and vital chapter of Australian art history. These artists were not just observers of modernism – they were active participants. Their work, ambition and courage have been underrecognised as central to Australia’s cultural story and to the global development of modern art. This exhibition brings that contribution into focus.’

Art Gallery of South Australia director Jason Smith added: ‘Celebrating the bold impact of 50 groundbreaking women artists who made their mark in early 20th-century Europe, Dangerously Modern was born out of the strong collecting histories of both the Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. After its hugely successful season at AGSA, where it connected deeply with visitors, I have no doubt that Dangerously Modern will resonate similarly with Sydney audiences.’

Dangerously Modern is jointly curated by the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ acting director of collections Wayne Tunnicliffe, and the Art Gallery of South Australia’s associate curator of Australian art Elle Freak and curator of Australian art Tracey Lock. The exhibition takes its name from Thea Proctor, who was surprised to find her art labelled ‘dangerously modern’ following her return from London to Sydney in the 1920s.

‘The title speaks to how their modernity was often seen as a threat — to artistic traditions, to gender norms, to expectations of national identity. But against these challenges, they persevered. These were artists of extraordinary talent and personal resilience who carved their own paths, sometimes against a backdrop of hostility or indifference and at other times with great public success and acclaim. Each individual artist’s story is as compelling as their art,’ Tunnicliffe said.

Dangerously Modern is accompanied by an expansive and lavishly illustrated publication. Edited by the exhibition co-curators, it features essays from an additional 26 specialist writers from around Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand who examine the exceptional art and extraordinary lives of the women featured, adding to the significant new scholarship generated by the exhibition.

Installation view of Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Diana Panuccio

On the opening weekend at the Art Gallery, join a panel discussion with the co-curators who will explore the lives and works of the artists. Also, hear from fashion designers Katie-Louise and Lilian Nicol-Ford in a special lecture as they delve into the revolutionary fashion of the 20th century to reveal how the trailblazing artists and designers of this transformative era continue to resonate today. Both events are free with an exhibition ticket.

During Art After Hours on 29 October, the Art Gallery will transform into a glittering French cabaret club reminiscent of avant-garde Paris. Hosted by local icon Imogen Kelly, celebrate the boldness of Sydney’s cabaret talent with art, music and performance. Free, no bookings required.

Over four weeks, dive deeper into the stories behind the artworks and join curators and art historians in the Learning Curve lecture series Nobody’s darlings: the lives and legacy of Australian women artists in Europe. Bookings required.

On 25 October, gather your friends for a fabulous night of art, food and music and celebrate the bold, rebellious and revolutionary artists of the exhibition with an exclusive viewing followed by a delicious two-course dinner inspired by the menu at Art Gallery Restaurant, Crafted by Matt Moran. Bookings required.

Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 is on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Naala Nura from 11 October 2025 to 15 February 2026. Tickets are now on sale, including discounted 2-for-1 tickets on Wednesday evenings for Art After Hours.

Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940 is presented by the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of South Australia.