One of Melbourne's oldest artist clubs is calling for Australian impressionists Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Frederick McCubbin to be immortalised in bronze.
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The Victorian Artists' Society wants the statues to stand outside its headquarters in Albert Street, East Melbourne but have yet to secure any funding.
"These men had the capacity to see landscape for the first time from Australian eyes," said David McCubbin the great grandson of Frederick McCubbin.
The artists from the Heidelberg School are internationally recognised for being among the first to realistically depict the harsh beauty of the Australian landscape.
"Not only were they visual artists, but they were also ecologists and naturalists. They taught us to see ourselves," Mr McCubbin said.
The Society's East Melbourne building was once known as 'the little gallery on the hill' and was built in 1892. It has been a place for artists to work, exhibit and socialise for nearly 150 years.
The Society was founded in 1888 and has been associated with the careers of many renowned Australian artist of the 20th and 21st century.
Streeton, Roberts and McCubbin all painted in the Society's original art studio as young men.
President of the Victorian Artists' Society Eileen Mackley said the statues would "recognise and respect the history of the Society".
"This is where those three men started their careers," she said.
And Mr McCubbin said the statues would help to advance the identity and relevance of the Society.
"Why shouldn't it be just the same as Ponsford going for a six?" he said.
The Society's headquarters has undergone renovations over the past 18 months.
"The heritage restoration of the building has seen this important Melbourne gallery restored to its original state, including the arches," Ms Mackley said.
The work has repaired water damage and added lighting, heating and plumbing to the building's galleries.
Mr McCubbin said the restoration project has stayed true to the building's history.
"What they've done is restored the building but they have kept the essence of it," he said.
"This place represents much more than just painting, it is a terribly welcoming club. This is a place that accepted female artists as equal, probably a hundred years before anywhere else."
The Society expects the building restoration and statues to be completed by 2020, to coincide with its 150th anniversary year.
