Moving away from the broader pastoral implications of the nineteenth-century social turmoil, one of Roberts’ most famous paintings of the Australian outback is The Breakaway. A sheep herder heroically pursues a flock of sheep that has run away in search of water, scarce in a time of intense drought (“An Australian Incident” 120). In accordance with his other paintings of historic rural Australia, he again chose to depict the sheep farming industry of which he was so fond, and that he viewed as the essence of Australia. But unlike his paintings of the shearing sheds, The Breakaway recreates the idealistic and nostalgic image of the Australian bush. The great action and drama of the painting is very telling of the intense heat and arid climate for which Australia is known, an aspect which made this particular painting so appropriate as a symbol of national identity. Here, Roberts has devoted all his attention on locating the “real Australia” which continued to elude the city-dwellers in the midst of the labor riots.
Although this thematic alteration could be interpreted as a sign of a change in Roberts’ desire to exploit the harsh reality behind the shearing industry, in typical Roberts fashion, it does nothing of the sort. Instead of using the rampant social upheaval as the backdrop of his paintings, he looks alternatively to the rural effects of the concurrent commercialization and industrialization of Australia. After all, those in the city were not only feeling the impact of the social movements, but also coming to the realization that the pastoral Australia that they considered the epitome of their national identity was quickly moving further and further inland as the population grew and technology advanced.
As evidence of this sentiment, The Breakaway was painted near Corowa, New South Wales, much farther inland than any of his other works of art (City Bushmen 104). This is an indication of the inability to find such an example of traditional bush activity anywhere closer to the coast due to the increasing size of the cities and towns which dominated those areas. In addition, the portrayal of the man on the horse is anything but peaceful and carefree. The chase of the sheep stampede is clearly a stressful time, evidenced by the swirling dust and even the dog seen rolling down the hill, as if even he has lost control of the situation. The growing industrialization of the country has forced the sheep herders further inland, subjecting them not only to much harsher weather conditions, but also to much more perilous experiences. The Breakaway captures the heroic nationalistic sentiments of urban Australians unable to experience the bush for themselves. And, despite its depiction of the harsh reality of the effects of commercialization, The Breakaway still expresses, in Roberts’ own words, “the meaning and spirit” of Australia’s “great pastoral life and work” (qtd Smith 102).
Image:
Roberts, Tom. The Breakaway. Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.