The Golden Fleece (painting)
Encyclopedia
The Golden Fleece, originally known as Shearing at Newstead, is an 1894
painting by the Australia
n artist Tom Roberts
. The painting depicts sheep shearers plying their trade in a timber shearing shed
at Newstead North, a sheep station
near Inverell
on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The same shed is depicted in another of Roberts' works, Shearing Shed, Newstead (1894).
The painting was originally titled Shearing at Newstead but was renamed The Golden Fleece after the Golden Fleece
of Greek mythology to honour the wool industry and the nobility of the shearers. This was in keeping with Roberts' conscious idealisation of the Australian pastoral worker and landscape.
The painting, said to be "an icon of Australian art", is part of the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales
.
1894 in art
-Paintings:*Lawrence Alma-Tadema - Spring *Paul Gauguin - Breton Peasants *Claude Monet - Rouen Cathedral *Edvard Munch...
painting by the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n artist Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts
Thomas William Roberts , usually known simply as Tom, was a prominent Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School.-Life:...
. The painting depicts sheep shearers plying their trade in a timber shearing shed
Shearing shed
Shearing sheds are large sheds located on sheep stations to accommodate large scale sheep shearing activities.In countries where large numbers of sheep are kept for wool, sometimes many thousands in a flock, shearing sheds are vital to house the necessary shearing equipment, and to ensure that the...
at Newstead North, a sheep station
Sheep station
A sheep station is a large property in Australia or New Zealand whose main activity is the raising of sheep for their wool and meat. In Australia, sheep stations are usually in the south-east or south-west of the country. In New Zealand the Merinos are usually in the high country of the South...
near Inverell
Inverell, New South Wales
Inverell is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Macintyre River. It is also the centre of Inverell Shire. Inverell is located on the Gwydir Highway on the western slopes of the Northern Tablelands. It has a temperate climate...
on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. The same shed is depicted in another of Roberts' works, Shearing Shed, Newstead (1894).
The painting was originally titled Shearing at Newstead but was renamed The Golden Fleece after the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
of Greek mythology to honour the wool industry and the nobility of the shearers. This was in keeping with Roberts' conscious idealisation of the Australian pastoral worker and landscape.
The painting, said to be "an icon of Australian art", is part of the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
.
See also
- Shearing the RamsShearing the RamsShearing the Rams is an 1890 painting by the Australian artist Tom Roberts. The painting depicts sheep shearers plying their trade in a timber shearing shed...
- an earlier work (1890) of Roberts depicting the same shearing theme.
External links
- Art Gallery of New South Wales - The Golden Fleece
- Podcast on The Golden Fleece by Art Gallery of New South Wales curator Barry Pearce.