A Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery National Touring Exhibition,

in association with Art Exhibitions Australia

I N T RO D U C T I O N

This exhibition traces the life and work of the A ng l o - Au s t r a lian pa i nter John Glover (1767-1849).

G l over made import a nt cont ri butions both to the British art world of the early nineteenth cent u ry and to the early

d eve l o p m ent of settler la nd s c ape art in Au s t r a li a .

The earli est ex a m p l es of what Tasmania looked li ke are fo u nd in coastal views observed and recorded on voyag es of

European maritime exploration, by Abel Tasman (1642), Ja m es Cook (1777) and Nicolas Baudin (1802). A f t e r

s e t t l e m ent, these were fo l l owed by topographical draw i ngs of the int e rior by explorers, surveyors and the occasiona l

c o nvict draughtsman, works designed for use by the colonial administrators both in Au s t r a lia and Great Britain.

By the 1830s, increasing numbers of free settlers led to an increasing ly affluent society, with grow i ng cultural needs

a nd aspirations. Some artists began to make a liv i ng from settler commissions – for fami ly portraits or views of their

p r o p e rt i es – or from prov i di ng draw i ng tuition for their children. Most colonial artists cont i nued to pa i nt in the

European style – not only from the habits of their ori g i nal training, but probably also from a homesick long i ng to fi nd

the fami liar in an unf a mi liar la nd .

H oweve r, by the 1840s, John Glover had evo l ved new and innova t ive ways of seeing and pa i nt i ng the marvellous and

i n c o m pa r a ble Au s t r a lian la nd s c ape, breaking to some ex t ent with the classical tradition to give a more accurate and

faithful repres entation of his new env i r o n m ent .

E d u c ational Mat e ri a l :

This material traces the deve l o p m ent of John Glove r ’s work in Europe and Au s t r a lia. For the most pa rt in

chronological order, it inv i t es users to study Glove r ’s deve l o p m ent through a stimu la t i ng and ap p r o p riate selection of

his works, fo l l owed by ex c i t i ng activ i t i es and thought-provo k i ng discussion point s .

O u t l i n e :

The Educational Material covers the central themes of ‘John Glover and European Land s c ape’, ‘John Glover and

Au s t r a lian Land s c ape’, ‘John Glover and the Tasmanian A b o ri g i n es’ and ‘Compa risons with Cont e m p o r a ry Liv i ng

Tasmanian Land s c ap i s t s ’ .

It is int r o d u ced by a short summary of ideas pert i n ent to the ‘Concept of Land s c ape – Chang i ng Vi ew s ’ .

C u rri c ulum Links:

D esigned to suit a range of learning objectives and associated cri t e ria derived from sylla bu s es releva nt to Second a ry,

Upper Second a ry and Senior Second a ry students, (Yrs. 7-12), some mo di fication and selection may be neces s a ry to

a c c o m modate va rious needs. Teachers and students are en c o u r aged to select and adapt these materials accordi ng ly.

As well as its releva n ce to A rt and Design and the Visual A rts subjects, this website material may be releva nt to other

subjects of the curriculum, such as History, Urban Studi es, Fine A rts, To u rism Studi es, Eng lish Studi es and

G e o g r ap hy.

C at a l o gu e :

A comprehen s ive catalogue (by David Hansen, Senior Curator of A rt at the

Tasmanian Museum and A rt Gallery) will accompa ny the ex h i b i t i o n .

A major res o u r ce for study and en j oy m ent, it is beaut i f u l ly designed and

p r es ented, with full colour illustrations. It includes a thorough and acces s i bl e

a c c o u nt of the art i s t ’s life and work and specialist es s ays by leadi ng schola r s

(on Glove r ’s Au s t r a lian la nd s c ap es, his repres entation of A b o ri g i n es, his

pa i nt i ng materials and methods, his sketchbooks and his pri nts), as well as

detailed notes on individual works and an ex t en s ive bibli o g r ap hy.

S enior Second a ry students will fi nd the catalogue inva l u a ble for in-depth study of pa rt i c u lar aspects of Glove r ’s wo r k .

Exhibition Dat e s :

Tasmanian Museum & A rt Gallery, Hobart

28 November 2003 to 1 Fe b ru a ry 2004

A rt Gallery of South Au s t r a lia, A d e laide

19 Fe b ru a ry to 12 Ap ril 2004

N a t i o nal Gallery of Au s t r a lia, Canberra

24 Ap ril to 18 Ju ly 2004

N a t i o nal Gallery of Vi c t o ria, Melbourne

13 August to 3 October 2004

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL

LANDSCAPE IN CONTEXT – CHANGING V I E W S

What is a landscape?

A piece of inla nd scen e ry? A picture of it? An attempt to organise, improve or order a piece of la nd by garden i ng? A

s pa ce we inhabit? More than our backdrop?

In art, ‘la nd s c ape’ usually means a work based on the art i s t ’s observation and interpretation of a pla ce, scene or view.

This can take many forms and invo l ve the use of a diverse range of media from pa i nt i ng to pri nt m a k i ng, draw i ng,

p h o t o g r ap hy, film, and mu l t i - m e dia and more! A look at your local gallery collections and recent exhibitions will

c o nfirm this va ri e t y.

C o nt e m p o r a ry interpretations of nature in la nd s c ape, include concepts which at times have moved away from mere

o b s e rvation of the view. Some deal with political issues such as A b o ri g i nal la nd rights or env i r o n m ental conserva t i o n .

Some explore di f f e r ent visual perspectives, from aerial photograp hy to microscopic close-ups. Some draw maps. Some

e m p l oy ‘on-site’ installation and/or perfo r m a n ce .

We all inhabit the la nd s c ape to some ex t ent, though maybe not the wild, pastoral or far di s t a nt one! We imagine it,

a nd dream of it as we sit in offi ces, classrooms or the bus or train that takes us there.

The artists of mid to late eighteenth cent u ry Eng la nd used la nd s c ape ex t en s ive ly as cont ent for their work. T h ey

s t u died the sevent e enth cent u ry classicism of Italian and Fr ench pa i nt i ng, which was considered to set a standard of

ex ce l l en ce. Works by Claude Lorrain (1604/5-1682), Salvator Rosa (1615-1673)and Gaspard Dughet (called Gaspa r d

Poussin, 1615-1675) are ex a m p l es. Subjects were drawn from A n c i ent Greek and Latin literature or from the Bibl e ,

a nd fo l l owed a restrained, noble style. Something imagined and idealised, this “elevated” style of la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng

included elements of both ‘the Beautiful’ and ‘the Sublime’ (‘See catalogue: ‘John Glover and the Colonial

P i c t u r es que` pp. 25-8)

B ritish artists taking the ‘Grand Tour’ to the Cont i n ent saw such works in Italy and Fr a n ce. Those una ble to trave l

t h e m s e l ves saw ex a m p l es in the private collections of aristocrats or in fo lios of eng r av i ngs of Old Master works, wh i c h

were being published in Eng la nd at the time.

The late eighteenth and early nineteenth cent u ri es saw the emerg en ce of a style known as ‘the Pictures que’. A

p e c u li a r ly Eng lish obsession, ‘Pictures que’ means simply ‘suitable for’ or ‘li ke a picture’. This impli es the acce p t a n ce

of ce rtain cri t e ria in judging what was suitable subject material, and how it was to be arranged in the picture.

D e finitions of the Pictures que became greatly elaborated by numerous ‘aut h o ri t i es’; philosophers, poets and other

t h e o rists all eager pa rt i c i pa nts. The vogue for the ‘Pictures que’ reached its peak in the 1790s, just as Glover began his

a rtistic career.

Wi l liam Gilpin, (‘Tours’, 1782), claimed that: ‘an artist cannot ex a c t ly improve on nature, but he can use a li t t l e

p r a c t i ce in the ru l es of pictures que composition’. Gilpin and his successors promoted the pleasures of the wild and of

w i l d e r n ess travel. His definitions of ‘a Pictures que scen e ry’ included: ‘roughness of texture, sing u la ri t y, va riety and

i r r e g u la rity: deep reces s es of shade on di s t a nt mo u ntains and la kes (in the mi ddle di s t a n ce) and a fo r e g r o u nd with

b r o ken ground, a rough road, or rocks with a fractured surface’.

C entral to this eng ag e m ent with la nd s c ape was the concept of artistic tourism, es p e c i a l ly to the ru gg e d

la nd s c ap es of Wa l es and the Eng lish Lake District, and an en h a n ce m ent of the role of private tutors or ‘draw i ng

masters’. Both the gent ry and the ri s i ng mi ddle cla s s es eng aged artists to instruct their children, es p e c i a l ly their

daughters at home; the ‘polite feminine accompli s h m ent of draw i ng’ soon repla c i ng the more tradi t i o na l

n e e d l ework and other indoor pa s t i m es .

Because of its port a b i li t y, ease of hand li ng on location, and suitability for smaller hang i ng spa ce, watercolour became

h u g e ly popular at this time. Watercolour artists soon formed the ava nt-garde of pa i nt i ng, producing int e r es t i ng, nove l ,

a nd adva n ced work, and giv i ng rise to a ‘golden age’ of British la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng. Masters of the medium included

the pa i nters J. M . W. Tu r n e r, Thomas Girtin, John Sell Cotman and Richard Pa r kes Bonington amo ng many others.

S everal watercolour societies were formed, the first being the Society of Pa i nters in Water Colours. Glover was a

fo u ndation member (and later Pres i d ent), and his early success in London coincides with that of the Society.

Though la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng (in both oil and watercolour), cont i nued to develop throughout the 19th cent u ry, after

a b o ut 1830 the great age of British watercolour had passed. In Europe, the Barbizon School realists of Fr a n ce became

p ivotal to the rise of Fr ench la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng as a major fo r ce. Twentieth cent u ry modernists and postmo d e r n i s t s

h ave ex pa nded the purely perceptual view of la nd s c ape, to include ex p r essionist and conceptual considerations.

C o nt e m p o r a ry la nd s c ape pa i nters cont i nue to push the bound a ri es of this artistic convention. For many la nd s c ap i s t s

such as John Glove r, the challenge of pa i nt i ng the la nd s c ape of a pla ce on the other side of the world proved as

ex c i t i ng and stimu la t i ng as the res u l t i ng works are for the careful viewer today.

JOHN GLOVER AND EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE I

“God bless me, I thought you would have posed over every tree ............... but it never tro u bled you

to go about, not when you was quite young, as ever I could see”( John Glove r, from his di a ry, 1803: pa rt of a remembered conversation with an oldwoman who knew him as a small child grow i ng up)

“Whate’er Lorrain light-touched with softening hue,

Or savage Rosa dashed, or learned Poussin dre w ”

( Ja m es Thompson, ‘The Castle of Ind o l en ce’, 1748)

John Glove r ’s early relationship with la nd s c ape commen ced in and around Houghton-On-The-Hill, Leices t e r s h i r e ,

where he was born, and at nearby Ap p l e by, where he had his first employ m ent, as a wri t i ng master at the local

grammar school. His art was en c o u r aged by his employers and he soon es t a blished an initial circle of art i s t i c

pa t r o nage, securi ng several commissions for ‘house portraits’ as well as extra income as a private draw i ng tut o r.

G l over travelled up to London to see exhibitions. He began to fami li a ri ze himself with the la nd s c ap es of Cla u d e

Lorrain, Salvator Rosa and Gaspard Poussin, artists whom he greatly admired all his li f e .

At this time art education favoured the practice of making pa i n s t a k i ng ly accurate copies of celebrated sevent e ent h

cent u ry Italian and Fr ench classical works. In order to learn about ‘specific forms, stylistic manners and ex ce l l en c i es ’ ,

m a ny artists travelled to Europe to work di r e c t ly from these. In Eng la nd, some artists even gained access to cla s s i c a l

p i c t u r es hang i ng in the great count ry mansions of the aristocratic eli t e .

E a r lier in the eighteenth cent u ry, Richard Wilson (cat. no. 4) was amo ngst the fi r s t

wave of British artists to visit Rome. Called the ‘Eng lish Claude’, his work was greatly

a d mired by Glover who was later to own one of his pa i nt i ngs. (Glover also owned two

pa i nt i ngs by Cla u d e ) .

Activities and Discussion Points:

cat. no. 1:

L o o k at this pa i nt i ng.

W ri t e some words to des c ribe it. Is it from pres ent day li f e ?

C o n s i d e r what is taken from reality and what is from the art i s t ’s imag i nation? Is there

a na r r a t ive (story) here?

cat. no. 2:

I m ag i n e you are in this la nd s c ap e .

Can any sounds be heard?

S e l e c t a nd play music that you think des c ri b es the mood of this wo r k .

cat. nos. 34 & 71:

C o m pa r e with John Glove r ’s copies of 1815 and 1833.

M a ke an image of your own in the ‘classical manner’ that

i n c l u d es collaged material taken from photocopies of

p i c t u r es of castles, bri d g es, mo nu m ents etc.

cat. no. 4

cat. no. 1

cat. no. 2

cat. nos. 34 (left) & 71

cat. nos . 1 & 3:

L o o k for views in your env i r o n m ent which are framed or have a side-screen effect such

as a tree, bu i l di ng or fen ce .

M a ke s ke t c h es or take photographs ex p l o ri ng these dev i ces .

R e a d Wi l liam Wo r d swo rt h ’s Romantic poem: “On the Island at Gra s m e re ”

On the Island at Gra s m e re

Rude is this edifice... yet to these walls

The heifer comes in the snow-storm, and here

The new-dropped lamb fi nds shelter from the wind .

A nd hither does one poet sometimes ro w

His pinnace.... and beneath this ro o f

He makes his summer couch, and here at noon

S p reads out his limbs, while, yet unshorn, the sheep

Pa n t i ng beneath the burthen of their wool

Lie ro u nd him, even as if they were a pa rt

Of his own household: nor, while from his bed

He through that door-place looks towards the lake

A nd to the stirring breezes, does he want

C reations lovely as the work of sleep,

Fair sights, and visions of romantic joy.

Consider and discuss

a) the ‘manners’ of ex p r ession in the work, and how in la ng u age, as all else, fashions and styles chang e .

b) Make a picture based on the poem’s ‘word pictures ’ .

cat. no. 1

cat. no. 3

JOHN GLOVER AND EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE II

“...in looking at Nature ’s works he seems to penetrate into futurity. He really looks thro u g h

N a t u re up to Nature ’s God...”

( G . T. W.B. Boyes, letter 20/4/1831)

As a ve ry yo u ng child, John Glover made ske t c h es of birds, pla nts and trees and eag e r ly copied draw i ngs and pri nt s .

His early effo rts seem to have been en c o u r aged. He was bri e f ly a pupil of John ‘Warwick’ Smith, ( a highly regarded

wa t e r c o l o u rist of the time) and of Wi l liam Payne, a fashiona ble London draw i ng master.

From Payne, Glover learned new effects of pa i nt ap p lication such as ‘spli t t i ng’ and ‘dragg i ng’ the brush. (He

s u b s e qu ent ly added many mannerisms of his own invention). He also ex p e ri m ented in the medium of pri nt m a k i ng

a nd pa i nted several port r a i t s .

G l over became a popular and successful draw i ng teacher, leav i ng his teaching position at Ap p l e by in 1792, to set up in

p rivate practice as an artist and draw i ng master in his own right. Reali s i ng that further success could be achieved by

liv i ng and wo r k i ng in London, Glover moved there in 1805.

A c t iv i t i es and Discussion Po i nt s :

cat. no. 9:

E x a mi n e this study of an elderly wo m a n .

W h a t was the art i s t ’s int ention? Has Glover des c ribed more than her ap p e a r a n ce? How

has he done this?

C o m pa r e with 20th cent u ry ‘social realist’ art (e.g. George Grosz in Germany in the

1920s, Josl Bergner and Noel Counihan in Melbourne in the 1940s).

cat. no. 10:E x p l o r e the qu a li t i es of a range of draw i ng pencils (e.g.2H, 4H, B, 2B, 4B, 6B). Howm a ny di f f e r ent kinds of marks can you make ?S e a r c h for a patch of weeds or wild pla nts grow i ng in your neighbourhood (there mi g h tbe some in your garden or in the street).E x a mi n e them using a simple hand c ut view fi nder or hand mag n i fier for a closer look.M a ke s everal pencil studi es of this vegetation in your ske t c h b o o k .

cat. no. 11:C o l l e c t some broad-leafed pla nts (e.g. docks, rocket lettuce or kale).E x p e ri m ent with Indian Ink, softhair bru s h es and water wa s h es .M a ke a study of your pla nt s .

cat. no. 17:E x p e ri m ent with bru s h es and blots of ink on wet pap e r.O rg a n i s e this method to suit a subject of your choice, e.g. a qu i c k ly wo r ked di r e c tpa i nt i ng of your pet fluffy cat, rabbit or guinea pig.C o m pa r e with ink draw i ngs by other artists such as Donald Fri end, Lloyd Rees, Dav i dH o c k n ey, Rembrand t .

cat. no. 9

cat. no. 10

cat. no. 11

cat. no. 17

cat. nos. 19 & 20:Pa i nt i ng the elements of sky (clouds) and sea (waves) in motion requ i r es great practice .T h ese beautiful studi es of the sea, (an unusual subject for Glover), were pa i nted di r e c t lyfrom his observation of the sea at Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast.O b s e rve clouds on a windy day.M a ke some quick studi es in charcoal, conté or other chalks on pastel paper or simi lar coarse-t extured pap e r.R e p e a t but with thin pa i nt, watercolour or ink and wash on strong white pap e r.C o m pa r e with cloud studi es by other artists (e.g. Constable, Tu r n e r, Wi l liam Robinson).C h o o s e what you consider the best one and frame it with a cardboard wind ow - mo u nt .

cat. no. 19

cat. no. 20

JOHN GLOVER AND EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE III

“...the magic of his effects, the truth and beauty that prevailed in his works, excited the ge n e ra le agerness to become possessed of his dra w i ng s . . . . . .”

( A c ke r m a n n ’s Repository Vol IX, 1813)

T h r o u g h o ut his lifetime Glover is known to have completed over 100 sketchbooks. He regarded these as the mo s ti m p o rt a nt referen ce for his pa i nt i ng, ke e p i ng them all, even up until the time of his death in Van Diemen's Land in1849. Many ske t c h es repres ent preli mi na ry studi es for fo li age, fi g u r es and animals in his oils and watercolours, cow sb e i ng a pa rt i c u lar specialty. Apa rt from their usefulness as props for ‘Pictures que’ composition, such details point tothe greater na t u r a lism which became fashiona ble as the nineteenth cent u ry progres s e d .

Activities and Discussion Points:

C o n s t ru c t your own sketchbook. Make it port a ble and user fri end ly. (Glove r ’s would fit into his coat pocke t ) .Pe r h aps the simplest method would be to staple sheets of good qu a lity white draw i ng paper betwe en two pieces ofc a r d .

John Glover frequ ent ly included goats, cattle, donkeys, fowls, asses, birds and foals in his wo r k .

cat. no. 36:Although this work is heroic in scale, it contains elements of tender int i m a c y. Ac u ri o u s ly cont e m p o r a ry - l o o k i ng info r m a lity appears to the right of the py r a mi d a l‘ p i c t u r es que’ grouping of cattle and the scient i fi c a l ly detailed-looking pla nt s .D i s c u s s , m a k i ng observations of both elements of cont ent and of form which mays u p p o rt this view.I s o la t e the figure ly i ng on the ground, play i ng with his dog (use your view fi nd e r )consider li g h t i ng effects, colour and scale.D o C laudean pri n c i p l es play a pa rt in this wo r k ?

cat. no. 14:C o m pa r e with cat. no.36.D es i g n, construct and pa i nt li f e - s i ze cut - o uts of cows from composition board orc a r d b o a r d .I n s t a l l in a location of your choice .P h o t o g r ap h, sketch or use as props for drama, music, wri t i ng or just for fun.L o o k at the work of other artists who have used animals as their subjects e.g. Hen riRousseau, John Ke l ly, Jen ny Watson, Brett W h i t e l ey, Rossly nd Piggott, Peter Booth,R ew Hanks and Daniel Moy n i h a n .C r e a t e a fantasy creature based on ex p e ri m ents with the Surrealist game Exqu i s i t eCorpse (This could be a colla b o r a t ive group activ i t y ) .I m ag i n e s ke t c h i ng a bull on location! Read Glove r ’s account from Sketchbook 59,Catalogue notes p166.

cat. no. 36

cat. no. 14

JOHN GLOVER AND EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE IV

“Like the industrious Bee, he (Glover) has wand e red over the fields of A rt and enr i c h e d

himself with her tre a s u re s ”

(from an unidentified contemporary press cutting)

As well as cap t u ri ng the Pictures que rural la nd s c ape, Glover was skilful at rend e ri ngarchitectural form. His sketchbooks show imag es of York, Ches t e r, Newcastle andDurham as well as va rious ruined castles and abb eys. Later, in Van Diemen ’s Land, hemade several house portraits of the recent ly built colonial homes of rural settlers.

In his depiction of the great metropolis of London, he tended to favour the green e rf ri ng es (‘Greenwich’ (cat. no. 37), Hampstead and Harrow), however his ‘Thames nearSt. Pa u l ’s Cathedral’ (cat. no. 28), shows him wo r k i ng at Lond o n ’s cent r e .

In accordance with the fashiona ble British Romantic enthusiasm for Greek culture and‘ exotic’ pla ces, Glover pa i nted ‘Vi ew of Mount Olympus and Town of Brusa’, 1813 ( c a t .no. 33). Glover was alert to the needs of the market, and though hav i ng gained we l lfi na n c i a l ly from the sale of his la nd s c ape watercolours, he dive r s i fied into oils in the1810s. At times he employed Biblical and Classical subjects for these works. Heexhibited at the 1814 Pa ris Salon, and was awarded a Gold Medal by Louis XVIII fo r‘ Pay s age Composé, Berg e r es en Repos’. Duri ng his Italian Tour of 1818, Glove rs ketched ex t en s ive ly at Tivo li, in the hills outside Rome, returning to this subject ag a i na nd again. Glove r ’s solo exhibitions, (the first in 1820), also rece ived critical accla i m ;‘ Tivo li’, 1820 (cat. no. 42) a t t r a c t i ng pa rt i c u lar praise..

T h r o u g h o ut the 1820s, Glover remained a consistent and promi n ent pres en ce in theB ritish art scene. He did not slow down, journey i ng to Scotla nd in 1825, the Isle ofWight in 1826, and Irela nd in 1827, ent h u s i a s t i c a l ly eng ag i ng with further aspects ofthe la nd s c ape of the British Isles .

Activities and Discussion Points:

cat. nos. 16, 38 & 45:S e a r c h for a really old bu i l di ng in your di s t ri c t .S ke t c h details in your visual di a ry (or sketchbook) – include shap es of wind ows, doors,mo u l di ngs etc.M a ke ru bb i ngs of va rious surfaces of the bu i l di ng.C o m p o s e an imag i na ry castle or fantasy structure by using the cut - o ut ru bb i ngs andd r aw i ngs and pla ce it in a ‘Glove r- li ke’ setting (e.g. cat. no. 45)L o o k at the work of Hierony mous Bosch, Giorgio de Chirico, Paul Delvaux, Edwa r dH o p p e r, Je f f r ey Smart and Leon Kossoff for other ex a m p l es based on the ‘bu i l tenv i r o n m ent ’ .C o n s i d e r h ow tourism promo t es ‘pla ces to see’ using the natural local scen e ry in‘perfect pictures que post cards’.D i s c u s s c o n cepts of fo r m a t t i ng and edi t i ng to make a more ‘pleasing’ view.D es i g n a nd make a postcard to send to a fri end. (N.B. postag e - s i ze li mitations mayap p ly in some regions of Au s t r a li a ) .C o n s i d e r h ow our use of the word ‘pictures que’ signals our pleasure in recognising howc l o s e ly the reality of a pla ce can ap p r oximate to the ‘ideal’.U s e your view fi nder to isolate and frame sections of a view. Hold it at arms length inyour non-draw i ng hand to do this. Choose the best views to draw and ske t c h .C o n s i d e r the work of Malcolm Morley, (hand - pa i nted Photo Realist wo r k sap p r o p ri a t i ng post-card ‘heroics’), and David Hockney (in pa rt i c u lar his photomo nt ag es and recent pa i nt i ng: ‘A Bigger Grand Canyo n ’ )

cat. no. 16

cat. no. 38

cat. no. 45

cat. no. 37

cat. no. 28

cat. no. 33

cat. no. 42

JOHN GLOVER AND EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE V

“He is a sturdy untidy, thick-build man with two club feet. His countenance a good, but almost

heavenly aspect.... A regular sober man, he enjoys excellent health and spirits....”

( Pe r e g rine Massingberd, di a ry 1832-3)

John Glover was an even-tempered, gregarious, en e rgetic, adventurous and enthusiastic man. He made his fi r s tj o u r n ey to the Eng lish Lake District in 1793. (This pla ce remains a favo u rite des t i nation of tourists from all over thewo r l d ) .

One cont e m p o r a ry writer observed: there is a Rage for the Lakes, we travel to them, row upon them, we write aboutthem... Tour guides were plentiful and des c riptions of va rious excursions were published as books. Glover made atleast nine tours betwe en 1793 and 1824 and at one stage owned Blawick farm near Ullswa t e r. The ve ry first work hehad accepted by the Royal A c a d e my was a view of Rydal Wa t e r, and of the many works he exhibited with the Societyof Pa i nters in Water Colours, a third were of Lake District subjects. To u rists sought to locate pla ces des c ribed inworks by poets, romantic nove lists and pa i nters of the time which would accord with the ‘beautiful’, ‘subli m e ’ ,‘ p i c t u r es que’ and ‘romant i c ’

The touri ng artist often carried special items designed to assist in `aesthetic response’. The ‘Claude Glass’, a convex ,optical, mi r r o r- li ke dev i ce, was used to reduce the la nd s c ape to mo di fied, manag e a ble proportions. ‘Ordered visualap p e a r a n ce’ was emphasised by adherents of the ‘Pictures que’. Glover also used the camera lucida, which wa si nt ended to aid an accurate transcription of what was seen, rather than an ‘artistic’ di s t o rt i o n .

Activities and Discussion Points:

C o n s i d e r the nature of portraiture and self-port r a i t u r e .C o m pa r e c o nvent i o nal ap p r o a c h es to portraiture with some more recent ex a m p l es e.g. Picasso, Chuck Close, RobertM applethorpe, Frida Kahlo, Mike Pa r r, Otto Dix, Lucian Freud, Wi l liam Dobell, Brett W h i t e l ey, Avigdor A ri k a .D i s c u s s the artists int entions in these works: the ‘Why’ as well as the ‘How’ of the wo r k .

cat. nos. 5 & 59:What do these self portraits tell us about John Glove r ?Do you think he had any specific int entions other than show i ng his li ken es s ?( s e l f - a dve rt i s e m ent ? )E x a mine the role of pa t r o nage in relationship to port r a i t u r e .C o n s i d e r : a) historical cont ext – dress, ex p r ession or attitude.

b) formal elements – style, composition.C r e a t e a Self Po rtrait – Will you choose a convent i o nal approach (from a mirror or photograp h s )or something more abstract, conceptual or ex p r essionist, that uses a material or technologysuited to your int ent i o n ?( Pe r h aps you wo n ’t include any repres entation of your physical ap p e a r a n ce at all, and insteadfocus on your ‘unseen’ self).M a ke a portrait of one of your heroes. You might include ‘the real’ as well as constructed orillusionistic treatment (e.g. text, sound, other di m en s i o n s ) .E x p e ri en ce di f f e r ent effects and ideas for depicting ‘self’ e.g. try di f f e r ent illusions such ass t a ndi ng side-on to a la rge wall mirror while holdi ng a hand - mi r r o r. Look in this mirror to locateyour reflection in the la rger mi r r o r. W h a t h ap p ens in your reflected reflection? Sketch this andother ideas for an art wo r k .R es e a r c h Richard Estes, Francis Bacon, R.B.Kitaj, Gerhard Richter and other artists who usedi s t o rtion and other illusionistic ap p r o a c h es in pa i nt i ng.R e c o r d v i ews glimpsed as you walk, skateboard, cycle, drive or run along your street (sketch, video or photograp h ) .R e p e a t this journey recordi ng the sounds of the street (video or tap e - r e c o r d e r ) .Combine these observations of pla ce into a finished work (installation, film sequ en ce etc.)R e f e r to cont e m p o r a ry art films such as Tr a cey Moffatt’s Night Cri es and Nicholas Roeg’s Wa l k a b o ut

cat. no. 5

cat. no. 59

cat nos. 85 & 89:Although he did often refer to his sketchbooks, Glover had an amazing ability tom e mo rise detailed scen es and pla ces. He completed works from memo ry withs u r p ri s i ng accuracy (even of pla ces that he had not seen for many ye a r s ) .L o o k o ut of your wind ow – try to observe eve ry t h i ng in the view.C l o s e the bli nd or curtains, or just turn indoors, and without looking back, try to wo r kup several ske t c h es from memo ry.D ev i s e a way to combine these in a wo r k .O rg a n i s e a group of your fri ends to go on a ske t c h i ng tour.(It need not be out in the count ryside, a city park, public garden or res e rve would bei d e a l ) .D i s c u s s what you will need to take and what you int end to do.R e f e r to works by artists who use a va riety of means to record a ‘sense of pla ce’, e.gTom Roberts, John Wo l s e l ey, Wi l liam Robinson, Tim Storri e r, John Olsen, Fr e dWi l liams, Sidney Nolan and Russell Drysdale, Donald Fri end, Brett W h i t e l ey and othera rtists who wo r ked together ske t c h i ng and pa i nt i ng in the Au s t r a lian count ry towns ofHill End and Sofala .

cat. no. 85

cat. no. 89

JOHN GLOVER AND AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE I

“...the expectation of fi nd i ng a new and Beautiful World – new land s c apes, new trees, new

flowers, new Animals, Birds &c &c is delightful to me...”

( John Glover in a letter to Sir Thomas Phillips 15/1/1830)

John Glover migrated to Van Diemen ’s Land in 1830 – 31.M aybe he missed his sons, (Wi l liam, Ja m es and Hen ry had been there for 3 years already), maybe he succumbed tothe temptation of ex p l o ri ng the world before he became too old, or maybe it was the lure of the free la nd grants thenb e i ng offered to emi g r a nts Many reasons have been proposed by his biographers for his leav i ng, and it is baffli ng givenhis success, popula rity and economic security in Eng la nd. However one thing is ce rtain: Glover had immense drivea nd an irrepres s i ble curiosity and sense of adventure. It appears that he was ready for a challenge!

A c t i ng qu i c k ly to settle his affairs, Glover sold his London house, put his art collection (Old Masters as well as his ow nworks) up for sale, and he, his wife Sarah, and son John Richardson Glove r, set sail on the ‘Thomas Laurie’ fromG r aves end on Sept. 1, 1830.

After five mo nths on board ship, the Glovers arrived in the Tamar Rive r, Launceston, on Fe b ru a ry 18, 1831 (Jo h nG l ove r ’s 64th birt h d ay). He had been una ble to do much work duri ng the journey due to his wife’s sea-sickness andhis own bad reaction to the debili t a t i ng heat. He did however make several beautiful studi es, and completed ske t c h es ,a nd a unique oil pa i nt i ng: The Isla nd of Madeira, 1831/39 ( c a t . n o . 6 0 ).E ager to record his new surroundi ngs, he immedi a t e ly returned to his habit of topographical ske t c h i ng. From theira c ute observa t i o nal accuracy, these draw i ngs reveal something of his en e rg y, enthusiasm and immediate fascina t i o nfor his new env i r o n m ent .

Activites and Discussion Points:

I m ag i n e what it would be li ke to travel on board ship for five mo nths without setting foot on la nd! Exciting? Scary ?B o ri ng? A m a z i ng ?W h a t might you see as you sailed along ?

cat. no. 60:John Glover started pa i nt i ng this work six weeks after leav i ng Eng la nd, as the Isla nd ofMadeira came into view from the ‘Thomas Laurie’. (He did not finish it then, but ye a r slater in Van Diemen ’s Land (1839).M a ke an imag i na ry ‘sea creature’ out of ‘fo u nd’ or ‘junk’ materials. Work in 3di m en s i o n s .G l ove r ’s son, John Richardson Glover des c ri b es sea-life in a letter to his sister back‘home’ in Eng la nd: The Dolphin is a long fish, something li ke a broad thick eel of ab right ye l l ow and green colour, and play in numbers around the vessel, cont o rt i ng theirb o di es in wavy serpentine forms, with the two va ry i ng colours making them the mo s ti nt e r es t i ng spectacle inhabiting the oce a n .

cat. no. 61:Another isla nd! This view was completed from ske t c h es made while the ship wa sd e layed by bad we a t h e r, tant a li s i ng ly close to their des t i na t i o n .Consider and di s c u s s: ‘isla nds’ as a subject for art and poetry. W hy are they so oftenused in imag i na t ive or romantic wo r k s ?S t u dy Arnold Böckli n ’s famous Symbolist pa i nt i ng: Isle of the Dead.W h a t would you li ke to have with you if marooned by yourself on an isla nd ?M a ke a pa i nt i ng which shows you, an isla nd, and what you would choose to take with you.

cat. no. 60

cat. no. 61

cat. no. 63:I d ent i f y some characteristic elements of ‘the Pictures que’ that Glover has used in hisc o m p o s i t i o n .W h a t aspects of cont ent show that Glover has ‘tuned’ his art to the new env i r o n m ent ?

cat. no. 66:M a ke a quick sketch of 2 birds hav i ng a conversation – are they talking about theweather?! Use speech bu bbl es with text or invent another way to show the ‘conve r s a t i o n ’ .I m agine yourself as a bird fly i ng high over the la nd or sea.D r aw or pa i nt what you can see – a ‘bird’s eye view ’ !C r e a t e a draw i ng of yourself with a bird’s head on your human body. This could bea d apted to make a mask.E x p l o r e the di f f e r ent ways birds are repres ented in a va riety of cultures such asA b o ri g i nal, Egyptian and Chines e .G l over always had a special int e r est in birds and pa i nted a number of bird pictures. It isk n own that in Tasmania, he kept rosellas, wattle birds and a rainbow lori keet. Sadly, it isthought that this (cat. no. 66) is the only one of his ‘bird pictures’ to surv ive .

cat. no. 63

cat. no. 66

JOHN GLOVER AND AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPE II

“ T h e re is a trilling and graceful play in the land s c ape of this country which is more difficult to

do justice to than the land s c ape of Eng l a nd ”( John Glove r, hand wri t t en note on ‘Vi ew of Mills Plains’; Van Diemen ’s Land, A rtG a l l e ry of South Au s t r a li a )

The Glovers returned to the ship after three weeks in Launceston, arriv i ng at Hobart Town on Ap ril 1st, 1831. T h eymoved into Stanwell House (upper Melville St., West Hobart), six days la t e r.At both ports, Glover had ke en ly observed his new surroundi ngs, qu i c k ly completing hundreds of ske t c h es, (over 300in Hobart Town), as he explored the count ry s i d e .

After purchasing two farms, (at Tea Tree and Bagdad in Ta s m a n i a ’s south), Glover succes s f u l ly ap p lied for a la ndg r a nt. This propert y, at Mills Plains near Ben Lomo nd, became his pri n c i pal home for the next sevent e en years unt i lthe time of his death; his grow i ng affection for the pla ce being ev i d en ced in his pa i nt i ngs and in letters to fri ends andf a mi ly ‘at home’ in Eng la nd. To his daughter Emma Lord he wrote: I think we shall live pri n c i pa l ly here, it also suitsme because ve ry rich and Pictures que... I li ke the count ry much.

The Glovers set off for Mills Plains on 12th March 1832, arriv i ng eleven days la t e r, after what must have been anarduous 145 kms. by bullock cart. Glove r ’s son John jr reported that they were: not incommoded by rain,bu s h r a ngers, sna kes or any other ve r mi n .

Though ve ry busy es t a bli s h i ng house and garden and superv i s i ng his sons, his ‘free man’ serva nt and his assignedc o nvicts, Glover kept ske t c h i ng and pa i nt i ng. He wo r ked from a tent, as he had in the old days of his British ‘tours’.G l over named his house ‘Pa t t e r d a l e ’’, after a fami liar pla ce in the Eng lish Lake Distri c t .

By 1834, he sent 68 new pictures to London to be shown at New Bond Street. Rev i ewers des c ribed the la nd s c ape as:b e a utiful and pictures qu e . . . . m ag n i fi cent and subli m e . . . . d e lightful and noble, and noted: the works are highly curi o u sa nd va l u a ble as convey i ng a ve ry vivid idea of the scen e ry of a colony which is rap i d ly ri s i ng in wealth andi m p o rt a n ce .

A c t iv i t i es and Discussion Po i nt s :The Glovers rented Stanwell Hall, Hobart Town, for the first nine mo nths of their life in Van Diemen ’s Land. Ind es c ri b i ng it John Glover said: situated at the further end of the town, on a steep hill, and ove r l o o k i ng the whole tow n ,harbour and surroundi ng hills, a romantic, pleasing view.

cat. no. 64:By the use of several view p o i nts, Glover has manipulated the scene to include mo r ei nformation for potential viewers e.g all the streets, the ‘import a nt’ colonial bu i l di ng s ,as well as the flouri s h i ng fo r e g r o u nd garden and the house, appear in a somewh a tf la t t ened pa n o r a mic vista.C o n s i d e r : what were Glove r ’s main int entions in pa i nt i ng this scene? Is it mereo b s e rva t i o n ?D i s c u s s the ‘dev i ces’ Glover uses in this work. How does it make you feel?C o m pa r e with a current photograph of the city of Hobart .

cat. no. 74:D r aw or pa i nt a house with a gorgeous flower and vegie garden and a di s t a nt view (fromyour imag i nation or from observa t i o n ) .

cat. no. 64

cat. no. 74

cat. no. 69:This is one of the first pa i nt i ngs of Glove r ’s Nile River propert y, `Patterdale`, at MillsP la i n s .S t u dy the cont ent of this work. What can you see?D es c ri b e a ny characteristic Au s t r a lian flora you may recognise.M a ke a pri nt from leaves, grasses or other na t ive ve g e t a t i o n .I nves t i g a t e natural surfaces (tree bark, stones etc.) by taking ru bb i ngs. Combine themi nto a collag e .C o n s i d e r h ow this work shows that Glover has adapted his pa i nt i ng style to embracethe new reali t i es of the Au s t r a lian la nd s c ape, mov i ng away from the ordered Pictures qu ea nd from the Romanticism of his early Eng lish wo r k s .Ron Radford (Art Gallery of South Au s t r a lia) has recent ly des c ribed this pa i nt i ng as:p e r h aps the first tri u m p h a nt ly Au s t r a lian la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng and one of the greatworks of Au s t r a lian A rt .

cat. no. 75:I d ent i f y the tasks of the harves t .C o m pa r e the chang es in pres ent day harves t i ng methods.C o n s i d e r d ev i ces used by Glover to charge the scene with Romantic feeli ng (li g h t ,s h a d ows, move m ent ) .Can we identify the artist`s feeli ngs about this scen e ?C o n s i d e r other pa i nt i ngs which ‘elevate’ and ‘dignify’ the concept of la b o u r.e . g. The Gleaners, by Jean Francois Millet, The Stonebreakers by Gustave Courbet,T h r es h i ng, Coolmore, Tasmania by Tom Roberts as well as works by Vi n cent Va nGogh, Noel Counihan and Thomas Hart Bent o n .

cat. no. 80:This subject, transposed to a Tasmanian setting and enacted by A b o ri g i n es, tells usthat Glover did not fo rget his ‘classical’ referen ces. The work also comments on thea quatic skills of Pa lawa wo m en .The di s t i n c t ive rock can still be seen today. O b s e rve the rhythms that Glover has used in the work (e.g. the twisting, curv i ng trees ,the curved shap es of rocks and hills, the fo r e g r o u nd upward move m ent towards the left,a nd the curv i ng, almost serpentine log).C o m p o s e a work that shows your interpretation of a rhy t h mical piece of music ofyour choice .R es e a r c h a rtists works where rocks are the main subject matter e.g. Russell Dry s d a l e ̀ sThe Rabbiters,1947, Lloyd Rees Au s t r a lian Façade,1965, and The Olgas .....Soon, byBrett W h i t e l ey, 1 9 7 0 .C o m pa r e some early pa i nt i ngs of artists campsites / s t u dios e.g.John Skinner Prout`s Camping Spot,Tasmania, c1845 and Fr e d e rick Mc Cubbin`s Fo r est Camp, 1 9 1 4O rg a n i s e a nd ex p e ri en ce a camping trip for art`s sake .

cat. no. 69

cat. no. 75

cat. no. 80

JOHN GLOVER AND THE TASMANIAN A B O R I G I N E S

“I wish to shew the Natives at a Corro b a r y, under the wild woods of the country – to give an idea

of the manner they enjoyed themselves befo re being disturbed by the White Pe o p l e . . . .”

( John Glove r, letter to G.A. Robinson, 1835)

John Glove r ’s inclusion of the Pa lawa (the Tasmanian A b o ri g i nal people) in his la nd s c ap es, startled, int rigued andf a s c i nated his audi en ce of the time. Subsequ ent scholars of his work have given va rious theori es as to his int entions ind o i ng so, (e.g. symbolism, allegori es of their impendi ng doom etc.)

It is howeve r, in ke e p i ng with his former practice of ‘staffi ng’ his works with the people, animals and things heo b s e rved first hand. His int e r est in the curious was pa rt and pa r cel of an historical attitude that saw in nature andw i l d e r n ess something marvellous, and in ethnographic subjects, idealised notions of the ‘noble savage’. Europeanmuseum collections willi ng ly accepted artefacts and specimens of Van Diemen ’s Land ’s indi g enous inhabitant s .

G l over arrived in Van Diemen ’s Land towards the end of the Black War of the late 1820s, wh en many colonists we r ea dvo c a t i ng the complete “ex t i r pation” of the A b o ri g i n es. Glove r, howeve r, appears to have been eager to make cont a c twith the Pa lawa. From his own accounts, we can deduce that he was hap py to observe their positive reactions to hisd r aw i ngs of them. He made effo rts to learn and transcribe the na m es of those he met, and to interact di r e c t ly withthem, never depicting them as a threat. W h en they appear in his pa i nt i ngs it is as peaceful, hap py people: a cataloguenote to one of his corroboree pictures noted: one seldom sees such gaiety in a Ball Room, as amo ngst these unt a u g h tS avag es. He included their dancing, sw i m mi ng, hunt i ng and res t i ng in what some feel are his greatest pa i nt i ng s .

Within a few years of Glove r ’s arrival in Van Diemen ’s Land, most of the last free Pa lawa had been deported toF li nders Isla nd. W h en Glover died in 1849, there were only about fo rty Pa lawa still alive .

Activities and Discussion Points:

cat. no. 73:G e o rge Augustus Robinson, (the ‘Conciliator’), entered Hobart Town in triumph withthe last of the ‘wild’ Oyster Bay and Big River tri b es in Ja nu a ry 1832. Some of themd a n ced and swam for Glove r, prov i di ng human subject matter for this great pa i nt i ng.G l over used a synt h esis of several of his ‘on the spot’ ske t c h es of A b o ri g i n es for thisc o m p o s i t i o n .I nvestigate and compa r e this view of Mt. We l li ngton, Hobart, Tasmania, with ap h o t o g r aph taken from the Eastern Shore of the River Derwent .C o m pa r e with cat. no. 65 – it has been said that these two works are ‘companion pieces ’ .Can you see why ?D i s c u s s the composition. Does Glover pla ce the viewer in this work? If so, wh e r e ?C o n s i d e r the use of Symbolism – the work has been des c ribed as an ‘elegy’ to theTasmanian A b o ri g i nal people as well as an affirmation of the ex t ent to which man canimpose order on awesome scen e ry and wild pla ces. Pe r h aps the work is also an assurancethat the Colony offered the prospects and comfo rts of home.S t u dy va rious dance forms and fashions.C h o o s e your favo u rite to illustrate in a medium of your choice .R e f l e c t on the work of Ju lie Gough and Bea Maddock, (artists, who through their works have raised awa r en ess ofi s s u es such as European invasion, reconcila t i o n ,a nd la nd ri g h t s ) .

cat. no. 73

cat. no. 67The group of A b o ri g i nal people dancing around the campfire have been ident i fied, inpa rt i c u lar by their head-dres s es, grass skirts and shields, as being from New Sout hWa l es. T h ey were brought to Van Diemen ’s Land by Glove r ’s Ben Lomo nd neighbourJohn Batman, and were kept as farm wo r kers and trackers for hunt i ng local A b o ri g i n es .O b s e rve G l ove r ’s characteristic li g h t i ng, (assisted by the campfire light), that he uses inthis work. Make compa risons with his Eng lish wo r k .C o n s i d e r the use of contrast as a dramatic tool in this and other Glover pa i nt i ng s .E x p l o r e some li g h t i ng effects by: a) ske t c h i ng the qu i c k ly chang i ng light of late even i ng skies with a coloured medium such as pastel andb) using a di r e c t i o nal side-light,(or back light), pla ce a readi ng lamp at first close to an object, (apple, ball), and thenf u rther away.D r aw what you see, ex p l o ri ng the elements of light and tone.A cont e m p o r a ry commentator observed of Glove r ’s Au s t r a lian works wh en they were first shown in London: nothingcould be more faithful than they were in repres entation of the views; his trees in pa rt i c u lar were incompa r a bl e .E u c a lyptus ovata and E.rubida grew on Glove r ’s pla ce .R es e a r c h the va rious species of Eucalypt known as the ‘Au s t r a lian Gum Tree’, and identify the pa rt i c u lar onesend e mic to your di s t ri c t .M a ke some draw i ngs of gums and other Au s t r a lian trees .See some ex a m p l es by Hans Hey s en, A l b e rt Namatjira, artists of the Heidelberg School, Fred Wi l liams, Wi l li a mRobinson and Lorraine Bigg s .The ‘leaning tree’ has been widely used as a subject for art (e.g. Fr ag o nard, Corot, Millais, Fri e d ri c h ) .The one beneath which the A b o ri g i n es have their campfire, with its 45 degree lean, actually existed on Glove r ’s farm.It obv i o u s ly delighted him, as he made many ske t c h es of it. It is typical of the growth pattern of many eucalypts inTasmania, that probably grew that way due to the isla nd ’s preva i li ng strong and gusty wind s .

cat. no. 76:O b s e rve the compa rison of active with still and of light against dark (tone).Fo l l ow all the curv i ng li n es with your eyes .I m ag i n e yo u ’re a possum, that hav i ng climbed a tree, is looking down on theA b o ri g i n es dancing.D r aw a na t ive animal in the bu s h .Pa i nt a pool of wa t e r. R e f l e c t on Glove r ’s use of water in his wo r k s .

cat. no. 78:It is thought that this is an imagined composition, rather than a record of an actualevent, (as the name impli es ) .W h a t ever the case, it seems to repres ent a last mo m ent of innocen ce before thei nva s i o n .O b s e rve the increased simpli fication and ex aggeration of curv i ng tree trunks andb r a n c h es, which has its basis in real gums grow i ng in Mills Pla i n s .D i s c u s s a esthetic purpose in relation to this.I n c l u d e the ideas associated with Romantic and Pictures que Taste, which may be ev i d ent in this pa i nt i ng.C o n s i d e r i n n ovation as a tend ency in Glove r ’s Tasmanian works (refer to the fo r e g r o u nd in pa rt i c u la r ) .C o m pa r e with the mi ddle and far di s t a nt view. In Au s t r a lia we often see the view by looking through the trees .C o nt r a s t the di f f e r ent fo li age den s i t i es of Eucalypts and European deciduous trees .R e f l e c t on Cont e m p o r a ry A b o ri g i nal art practice by referri ng to works of Gordon Bennett, Tr a cey Moffatt, KarenC a s ey, Banduk Marika, and Ju dy Wa t s o n .Consider and res e a r c h the works of Emi ly Kame Kng wa r r eye, Rover Thomas, Cli f ford Possum T j apa l t j a r ri and otherA b o ri g i nal artists whose work records their tradi t i o nal Dreami ngs. Discuss this signifi c a nt di m ension of our culturalh e ri t age, es p e c i a l ly in referen ce to la nd and pla ce .

cat. no. 76

cat. no. 78

cat. no. 67

C O M PARISONS WITH CONTEMPORARY TASMANIAN LANDSCAPE PA I N T E R S

Ta s m a n i a ’s natural beauty and seclusion has cont i nued to inspire its artists throughout the 20th and into the 21stcent u ry. However although this isla nd state has a cont i nu i ng tradition of convent i o nal la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng, in recentyears the concept of ‘la nd s c ape’ has ex pa nded to include many more cont e m p o r a ry forms of ex p r ession. This ofcourse is consistent with art practice elsewhere. However it has been said that our isla nd ’s isolation, rela t ive ly smallp o p u lation and dive r s e ly mag n i fi cent scen e ry and remo t en ess, imbu es its creative work with ve ry special and uniqu equ a li t i es of pla ce .

W h en John Glover arrived from Eng la nd in 1832, he was immedi a t e ly inspired to record this strange newenv i r o n m ent in Van Diemen ’s Land. More recent ly (in fact nearly 200 years on), some artists have other ideas on theirmi nds. T h ey search for ways to ex p r ess issues regardi ng the ‘wild pla ces’ and natural la nd s c ap es, and pa rt i c u la r ly thep e r ce ived threat and reality of their des t ruction. Many res i d ent practitioners are ke en bush wa l kers (Ray mo nd A r n o l da nd Philip Wo l f h ag en for example), and have intimate knowledge of even ex ce p t i o na l ly remote areas of Ta s m a n i a .Others, li ke David Ke e li ng, set imag es ap p r o p riated from historical art sources in ke en ly observed la nd s c ape setting s .Such works provide an indirect comment a ry on urbanisation (the en c r o a c h m ent of the built env i r o n m ent onto ru r a lor bush la nd), and on the degradation of that la nd by logg i ng and cleari ng.

P h o t o g r ap hy, pri nt m a k i ng and draw i ng has assumed a pivotal role in the pres entation of cont e m p o r a ry Ta s m a n i a nla nd s c ap es. Photograp hy in pa rt i c u lar is a potent tool, ce l e b r a t i ng ‘the wilderness’ in both macro and micro view.The growth of tourism and its accompa ny i ng hype has accommodated the many ex a m p l es of wilderness photograp hy.A growth ind u s t ry en c o m pa s s i ng many facets of adve rt i s i ng, this trend ori g i na t es in the 19th cent u ry withp h o t o g r aphers such as Morton A l l p o rt and J. W. Beattie, but its most celebrated ex p o n ents are the two greatc o n s e rva t i o n i s t / p h o t o g r aphers, Olegas Tru c h a nas and Peter Dombrovskis. In the 1960s and 1970s, Tru c h a nas andD o m b r ovskis used photograp hy to show the unique pla ces that were threatened by the Hydro Electric dam projects.

S i mi lar issues cont i nue to be of concern today. Tasmanian artists Peter Stephenson (pa i nter) and David Stephen s o n( p h o t o g r apher), both deal with the cont r oversial issue of wo o d - c h i p p i ng Ta s m a n i a ’s fo r ests. Peter Stephen s o n ’sWoodchip Fa i ry, 1988 (gouache on paper), shows an armless human torso cent r a l ly pla ced in a denuded and des o la t ela nd s c ape; the one remaining tree- frag m ent a lone and desperate symbol. He includes confused and rap i d ly - exe c ut e dt ext, that with its pa i nt e r ly flurri es may allude to fly i ng wo o d - c h i p s .

D avid Ke e li ng ’s Fr o ntier Fo u ndation 1994, (oil on canvas), comments gent ly, if persistent ly, on urban en c r o a c h m ento nto the la nd. The figure of a yo u ng woman who tent a t ive ly perches on a pa rt i a l ly - built red brick fo u ndation, isap p r o p riated from Hope, a pa i nt i ng by Pierre Puvis de Chava n n es, (1824-98), and is quite front a l ly positioned. Af limsy wo o d en house frame is located behind her in a va l l ey over which towers a vast hill of dense Au s t r a lian bu s h .

While both Stephenson and Ke e li ng nudge at concepts of conservation and la nd degradation, David Stephen s o n ’sp h o t o g r aph, Lake King Wi l liam on the River Derwent Hydro Electric Deve l o p m ent, Tasmania, 1982, di r e c t lyc o nf r o nts its viewers. Degradation caused by ind u s t rial waste pollution is a subject that once would have beenconsidered inap p r o p riate for art. The work measures 37.5 x 136.5 cms and is in 3 panels – a slim pa n o r a mic view,c o nf r o nt i ng in its reali t y.P h i lip Wo l f h ag en ’s Va n i s h i ng Po i nt IV, 1995 (oil and wax on li n en), bri ngs us back to the natural beauty of Ta s m a n i a nmo u ntain plateau regions; in this case the Great Western Tiers. The viewer is ent r a n ced by a gentle palette of coolmisty colour, yet heav i ly viscous in it ap p lication: beauty and terror, with perhaps some ves t i g es of the ‘Sublime’ andthe ‘Romantic’ impli e d .Va n i s h i ng Po i nt IV and Wo l f h ag en ’s recent work on Deal Isla nd ’s rocky archipelago, bear tes t a m ent to the many day she spends observ i ng and recordi ng in ske t c h es and pa i nted studi es out-of-doors. Both works show the broodi ngmo nu m ent a lity and ‘sense of pla ce’ of these locations.

Bea Maddock, one of Ta s m a n i a ’s most celebrated artists, is an insistent vo i ce in raising our awa r en ess of coloniali s ma nd its inheri t a n ce .

In Tr o u we r n e r... The white ships came from the West and the Sea of Darkness, 1992-3, (encaustic with pigment, wa s ha nd cord), we fi nd ourselves looking at the di s t a nt shore from the deck of a saili ng ship. The 4 panel, 8 metre long wo r ks h ows a pa n o r a mic view of the Southern Tasmanian coastline, here and there dotted with faint plumes of camp-fi r es mo ke at A b o ri g i nal tribal sites. White cords ove r laid across the panels repres ent both the nav i g a t i o nal co-ordi na t esa nd the ri gg i ng that cuts across the view from aboard. Five hundred and twenty six selected pla ce na m es from pre-s e t t l e m ent tribal areas of Tasmania, form borders of text at top and bottom of the work and are an attempt to di s p e lthe notion of Terra Nullius. ‘The Sea of Darkness’ was an ancient name for the stretch of wa t e r, i.e. Southern Oce a n ,t r aversed by the many ships that rounded the Southern Cape of Tasmania, from 1642 until settlement on the DerwentR iver in 1803.

Though not always through la nd s c ape, other signifi c a nt Tasmanian artists to comment on the plight of Ta s m a n i a ’sfirst inhabitants include Ju lie Gough and Karen Casey.

Please note: All named works are held in the collection of the Tasmanian Museum and A rt Gallery. It is sugg ested thats t u d ents and teachers construct a compa r a ble project rela t ive to their own state or regional collections.

Activities and Discussion Points:C o m pa r e la nd s c ap es by John Glover that include indi g enous people, with the ex p r essions by cont e m p o r a ryTasmanian A b o ri g i nal artists of their culture and associated issues. C o n s i d e r p h o t o g r aphic repres entations of Tasmanian la nd s c ape – include the inf l u en ce of media cove r age andexposure of political issues such as la nd rights and reconciliation in your di s c u s s i o n .R e f l e c t on ‘ex p e ri en ce of pla ce’ and its pa rt in la nd s c ape pa i nt i ng. (John Glover active ly explored his new Va nD i e m en ’s Land env i r o n m ent, even cli m b i ng Ben Lomo nd with John Batman). A rtists Wo l f h ag en and Arnold wa l ka nd camp at remote pla ces, ex p e ri en c i ng their atmosphere, spirit and reali t y.

C o m pa r e the above with the practice of wo r k i ng from photographs und e rt a ken by some cont e m p o r a ry la nd s c ap i s t s .R e f l e c t on Glove r ’s ‘Pictures que combination of ex ce l l en c i es’ where classical va l u es were favoured in la nd s c ap epa i nt i ng.Was the viewer ‘di s t a n ced’ from the reali t y ?Is this still the case in cont e m p o r a ry ex a m p l es ?S t u dy John Glove r ’s materials and techniqu es. In Van Diemen ’s Land he adapted his materials and invent e dt e c h n i qu es to his best adva nt age (cat. p. 242)C o m pa r e with cont e m p o r a ry techniqu es, materials and methods.C o n s i d e r ava i la b i lity and range of materials then and now, modernist innovations etc.

cat. nos. 106, 108, 112 & 113:S t u dy the technique of etching with referen ce to these ex a m p l es .C o m pa r e with Ray mo nd A r n o l d ’s Hard Ground – Soft Ground, Fr a n k lin Rive rWatershed II, 1993, (softground etching ) .L o o k es p e c i a l ly at the di f f e r ent ways of hand li ng the draw i ng techniqu es for etching inboth artists works. M a ke a dry p o i nt etching.M a ny people nowa d ays ‘ex p e ri en ce the la nd s c ape from a position of phy s i c a li m mo b i lity’ (television, books, computers, cinema, mag a z i n es )C o n s i d e r this concept of ‘immo b i lisation’ in relation to the role of the la nd s c ape pa i nt e ra nd also the function of art gallery exhibitions in this scena ri o .S t u dy some watercolour techniqu es .U s e watercolour to pa i nt a Tasmanian view.C o n s i d e r the immense popula rity of Eng lish watercolours in Glove r ’s early Lond o nye a r s .R e f l e c t on the cont i nu i ng world-wide int e r est in this medium by pa i nters of la nd s c ap e .L o o k at works by Tasmanian artists (Max A ngus, Pa t ricia Giles, Jack Carri ng t o n - S mi t h ,G e o rge Davis and Stephen Lees ) .

cat. no. 106

cat. no. 108

C o m pa r e their va rious uses of wa t e r c o l o u r, gouache (body-colour) and oil, in ex p r es s i ngc h a r a c t e ristics of Tasmanian la nd s c ap e .C o n s i d e r s pa ce, light, colour and treatment of the end e mic flora and fauna of Tasmania inyour discussion of the above. Consider:

‘Our significant painters teach us to continually re i nvent the way we see and experience our

s u r ro u nd i ng s .’

‘A rt is something that makes dialogue possibl e .’

cat. no. 112

cat. no. 113

TIMELINE

1767 Birth of John Glover, son of William Glover, grazier, and Ann (née Cole), at Houghton- on-the-Hill, Leicestershire.

1770 Captain James Cook charts the east coast of Australia.

1775 Birth of Thomas Girtin, English watercolour painter.

1776 Birth of John Constable, English landscape painter.

1782 Birth of John Sell Cotman ,English landscape and watercolour painter.

1786 Appointed writing master, Sir John Moore’s Free School, Appleby, Leicestershire.

1788 British annexation of Australia. Arthur Philip arives at Port Jackson with fleet of convict transports ships and takes possession ofNew South Wales.

1790 Birth of John Richardson Glover, son of Glover & Mary Richardson.Marries Sarah YoungVisits London, calls on Sir Joshua Reynolds

1791 Birth of William Glover

1792 Death of ReynoldsBirth of Ann GloverResigns from Sir John Moore’s School to set up as a private drawing master

1793 First free settlers arrive in New South Wales.France declares war on EnglandTravels to London, takes lessons fromWilliam Payne and John ‘Warwick’ Smith Sketching tour of Lake District

1794 Birth of Sarah GloverGlover teaching at Misses Parkers’ school, Ashbourne, DerbyshireVisits London, calls on Joseph FaringtonSketching tour of WalesSettles in Lichfield

1795 Teaching at Harewood House, YorkshireFirst works shown at Royal AcademyFood riots in southern English counties

1796 Birth of Thomas Glover

1798 Birth of Emma GloverFirst portraitsPublication of "Lyrical Ballads" (Wordsworth/Coleridge)

1799 First oil painting shown at Royal AcademySketching tour of WalesEngravings published in Brooke Boothby, Sorrows... and Anna Seward, Sonnets...

1801 Exhibits at Royal Academy Makes first etchings

1802 Sketching tour of Lake DistrictPeace of Amiens – cessation of Anglo-French hostilitiesTurner elected to membership of the Royal AcademyDeath of Girtin

1803 Exhibits at Royal AcademySketching tour of Scotland (?)Birth of Henry GloverMatthew Flinders circumnavigates AustraliaBritish annexation of Tasmania. John Bowen arrives at Risdon Cove on the "Lady Nelson" and takes possession of Van Diemen’sLand.England declares war on France.

1804 David Collins moves British settlement to Sullivan’s Cove. Establishment of HobartExhibits at Royal AcademySketching tours of Lake District and YorkshireBirth of Mary GloverEstablishment of the Society of Painters In Water Colours(SPWC).

1805 Birth of James GloverElected Sherriff of Lichfield Sketching tours of Lake District (with Robert Hills) and County DurhamExhibits with SPWC. Elected to committee.Battle of Trafalgar.Moves to LondonEstablishment of the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts

1806 Exhibits with SPWC

1807 Exhibits with SPWCSketching tours of South Wales, Windsor, Margate

1808 President of SPWCExhibits with SPWCJohn Varley (English landscape painter) invents "graphic telescope""Rum Rebellion" in New South Wales, deposition of Gov. William BlighWordsworth publishes "Guide to the Lakes"

1809 Fire at Drury Lane TheatreExhibits with SPWC

1810 Exhibits with SPWC, Liverpool AcademyEstablishment of Artists Benevolent FundLachlan Macquarie appointed Governor of New South Wales.

1811 Madness of George III. George, Prince of Wales becomes Rege ntExhibits with SPWC National census, England. Population of Greater London: 1,099,104

1812 Economic recession in England.Byron publishes "Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage"Sells Durham Cathedral to J G Lambton for 500 guineasPurchases two works by Claude LorrainExhibits SPWC and British InstitutionSPWC dissolved. Reformed as Society of Painters in Oil and Water Colours (SPOWC)Elected to committee of SPOWC

1813 Exhibits SPOWC

1814 Abdication and exile of NapoleonExhibits SPOWC, Royal Academy, Liverpool Academy Travels to France, sketching in Alps, copying Old Masters in LouvreExhibits Paris Salon, awarded Gold medal by Louis XVIII

1815 President, SPOWCExhibits SPOWCSketching tour of Lake DistrictRecession continues in EnglandNapoloeon’s " Hundred Days, Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon abdicates, Louis XVIII restored

1817 Rural unrest in England. Rick-burning in the Midlands.Exhibits SPOWC (inc plaster sculptures), British InstitutionSketching tour of WalesSPOWC votes to cease paying dividends to exhibitors. Glover resigns.

1818 Nominates for membership of the Royal Academy. Not elected.Travels to Italy with Henry Curzon Allport, sketching in Alps, Rome, Tivoli, Umbria, Manferrato, Lake GenevaExhibits British InstitutionBuys "Blawick Farm", at Patterdale, Ullswater, Lake District (?)

1819 Exhibits British Institution

1820 Solo exhibition, Old Bond StreetSketching tour of WalesGericault’s "Raft of the Medusa" shown in London.Death of George III; accession of George IV

1821 Solo exhibition, Old Bond StreetSketching tours of Wales, Midlands, Lake DistrictDeath of Napoleon

1822 Solo exhibition, Old Bond StreetBirth of grandson, John Glover Lord

1823 Legislative and judicial systems established for New South Wales andVan Diemen’s Land.Solo exhibition, Old Bond StreetEstablishment of Society of British Artists (SBA). Glover on committee.

1824 National Gallery opens Constable receives gold medal at Paris Salon for "The Hay Wain"Death of Benjamin West, President of Royal AcademySketching tour of Lake DistrictTreasurer, Society of British ArtistsSolo exhibition, Old Bond StreetExhibits SBA

1825 Separation of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land proclaimed.Sketching tour of ScotlandVice-President, SBAExhibits SBA, British InstitutionWork commissioned by G F Robson for Haldimand collectionWorldwide depression

1826 Sketching tours to Devon and Isle of Wight, DurhamPresident, SBAExhibits SBA, British InstitutionWorks with Welsh printmaker Hugh Hughes on projected wood engravingsAugustus Earle opens his gallery in Sydney

1827 Sketching tour of IrelandExhibits SBA, British Institution, Royal Manchester InstitutionWilliam Glover meets George M Evans (ex Deputy Surveyor General, Van Diemen’s Land) in London; buys 80 acres in exchangefor £300 worth of pictures

1828 Exhibits SBA, Birmingham Institution, County of Hampshire Picture GalleryMartial law declared in the settled dstricts of Van Diemen’s Land: beginning of "The Black War"

1829 Swan River setllement scheme (Western Australia) promoted in LondonGlover’s sons James, William and Henry sail for Van Diemen’s Land on "Prince Regent.Augustus Earle exhibits Panorama of Sydney in LondonLegislative Council established in Van Diemen’s LandExhibits SBA

1830 Sells painting collection through the auctioneer Stanley, Old Bond Street Death of George IV. Accession of William IVJohn, Sarah and John Richardson embark for Van Diemen’s Land on Thomas Laurie, a journey of almost six monthsTotal population of Australia 55,795

1831 Arrives Van Diemen’s Land 18 February, in Hobart Town 1 AprilPurchases farm at Tea TreeArtist and engraver Thomas Bock opens a gallery in Hobar t Town (while still an assigned convict)Sale of last possessions at Stanley’s, London

1832 George Augustus Robinson ( ‘The Conciliator’) succ essfully negotiates armistice with Big River and Oyster Bay tribesTwo Van Diemen’s Land paintings exhibited SBA, LondonGranted land at Mills’ Plains Glover, Sarah and three sons move to "Patterdale Farm", Mills’ PlainsVisits Hobart Town, sits for Mary Morton Allport portrait.

1833 Opening of Theatre Royal, SydneyClimbs Ben Lomond with John Batman and three New South Wales Aborigines.

1834 Visit from George Augustus Robinson and "Friendly Mission" to Mills Plains

1835 68 paintings exhibited Old Bond Street, London, more than 60 painted in Van Diemen’s LandApprox. 150 Palawa (Tasmanian Aborigines) remain in Van Diemen’s Land.Commission from Robinson for frontispiece of proposed book Takes Charles Merrett as pupilSettlement at Port Phillip Bay established, later to become the city of Melbourne.Establishment of a colony in South Australia.

1836 Presents painting to Robinson

1837 Sends second consignment of pictures to London – not exhibitedFirst art exhibition held in Hobart TownRoyal Victoria Theatre (Theatre Royal) opens in Hobart.Australia’s first passenger railway completed (in Van Diemen’s Land). propelled by convicts.

1838 Bushrangers raid hut at Patterdale.

1840 Sends 2 paintings to Louis Philippe of FranceGould publishes first volume of "Birds of Australia"Economic depression in Australian colonies

1841 Death of William IV. Accession of Queen VictoriaTotal population of Australia 206,759

1842 Foundation of Nile Chapel, Deddington. Glover signatory to Trust deed

1843 Convict population of Van Diemen’s Land 17,703 ( 34.3%of total).Transportation of convicts to N.S.W. abolished, V.D.L. doubles its intake of convicts

1844 Royal Society of Van Diemen’s Land established

1845 John Skinner Prout visits "Patterdale"and makes portrait of Glover.Art exhibition in Legislative Chamber, Hobart Town, organised by Prout

1849 Death of Glover

1851 Discovery of gold in Victoria and New South Wales, start of gold rushes.

1853 Death of Sarah GloverEnd of convict transportation to Van Diemen’s Land

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