The Golden Fleece 1894, AGNSW; A break away! 1891, AGSA and Shearing the rams 1890, NGV
Poppies 1921, Private Collection and The First Basin, Lake Como 1913, Private Collection
4 December 2015 – 28 March 2016, National Gallery of Australia
This exhibition delivered a new and highly intelligent look at Tom Roberts, developed by Dr Anne Gray, one of Australia's most respected curators of Australian art.
With over 130 works, the exhibition included paintings, pastels, drawings, prints and sculpture - portraits, landscapes, his famous national narratives, still-lifes, nudes and figures in landscape – with works spanning from his early days studying at London’s Royal Academy in 1883 until 1931.
Tom Roberts national narratives are quintessentially colonial Australia and show the unique character of the Australian bush and urban life. Shearing the rams is a universal image of action and hard work while the monumental ‘Big Picture’ captures the moment Australia became a democratic Federation. The combination of Australian favourites, along with rarely seen paintings, made this exhibition a patriotic 'must see' event for anyone interested in Australian art.
With over 7,300 visitors to the exhibition over the final Easter long weekend, the exhibition closed with a total attendance of 131,878 visitors. This made Tom Roberts the most successful Australian art exhibition ever held at the NGA at the time and the second highest attended paid exhibition of Australian art held in Australia, in the previous three decades.
Exhibition Ambassador, Actor, Simon Baker