The History of Australian Art
The History of Australian Art
The history of Australian art can be traced back to the arrival of Europeans in Australia. However, for many Australians, it first became apparent as a curiosity, and curiosity about art has become more commonplace, this initial interest has given way to an acute awareness that Australian art is of great significance to its people and the world at large. Art is Australia’s unique national treasure, with examples of visual arts dating back thousands of years. The earliest surviving works date from the Stone Age when Aboriginal artists created artwork using natural materials such as stones, bone, and antler. The famous First Fleet brought European settlers to Australia in 1788 and Europe’s first painters arrived three decades later.
The Origins of Painting in Australia
The first evidence of painted craft in Australia can be found in the Uluru rock art of 3,300-year-old Central Australia, which has been interpreted as depicting humans and animals. Uluru paintings have also been interpreted as symbolic of early Aboriginal beliefs about the afterlife. During the time that the first settlers arrived in Australia, there was a little artistic endeavor. The first artesian that appeared in print was the self-portrait of George Vancouver in 1792, but it was not until the 1830s that an artist by the name of William Thomas trained at the newly formed National Gallery of Victoria.
European Encounters with Australian Art
Italian-born artist Titian returned to Europe in 1792 and produced several Australian paintings including Portrait of a Lady and a Young Girl, both of which are held in the National Gallery of Victoria. Other European artists who made important contributions to Australian art include Canaletto, whose celebrated series of marine paintings survive in several forms, particularly his iconic Cautioning the Pilot and His Crew, one of the most reproduced Australian images.
The First Australians and Their Arts
The first Australians to gain prominence as artists were those who immigrated to Australia from the First Nations, who had long inhabited the islands and continent. The most famous of these is probably O Pioneers! written and painted by Joseph Banks, whose book and painting have become famous globally.
Early Australian Paintings
In 1820 a group of British officers and scientists led by James Cook landed at Botany Bay on the southwest coast of Australia and, after exploring the area, returned to discover the west coast had been populated by early human beings. Settlers began to arrive in large numbers around that time, and among them was William Thomas who, having trained as an artist in England, arrived in Sydney in 1824.
World War I and the Development of Australian Art
In the wake of World War I, which resulted in the death of an estimated 1.5 million people worldwide and ended with an Armistice that seemed to promise a halt to all hostilities, several Australian artists returned home to find themselves faced with a society in political and economic turmoil.
The development of visual arts in Australia can be traced back to the arrival of the first European settlers in 1788 and the impact of their art on the people of Australia. The impact can be seen in the arts and crafts that were practiced by the original inhabitants of Australia.
World War II and the Awakening of Australia Art
When the Second World War broke out, many of the leading figures in art and architecture returned to Europe and the United States, leaving a large number of talented Australians to pursue their careers in the eventful years that followed. Amongst these was William Pinyon, who, recognizing the need to offer a visual counter to the words of all those returning to Australia, set up an Artist’s Unit to produce arts and crafts, as well as popular art, that would represent Australia to the world.
Contemporary Artists in Australia
Since the Federation, there have been a large number of significant events in the development of contemporary Australian art. The first significant event was the exhibition at the Art Gallery of the works of modern Australian artists, which opened in 1939 and traveled throughout Australia before closing in 1941.
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