Although Roberts (shown seated with book in photograph on left, taken at Newstead) is known for his invaluable contribution to the establishment of a uniquely Australian school of painting, another art form, photography, had a profound influence on his creations. He first entered the art world as an apprentice to photographer Richard Stewart in Melbourne from 1870 to 1881 and eventually became a senior operator (Lendon 80). While in the photography studio, he was assigned the duties of posing sitters for portraits and arranging lighting (Splatt 25). Roberts’ later use of light in his famous landscapes and in his large pastoral figure studies revealed the significance of the skill Roberts developed during this time.
A direct relationship between photography and painting was in fact not uncommon during Roberts’ career. Many artists, especially Impressionists, replaced sketching with photographs, further enabling them to capture a specific moment in time perfectly (Lendon 72). It is unclear whether or not Roberts created his paintings in this fashion, but a photograph taken by him of the Brocklesby woolshed (1889) does indicate that he had and used a camera on the site (Smith 109).
The true correlation between photography and Roberts’ images of the shearing industry is finally clear when his art is compared with photographs of the time. Historian Nigel Lendon, for example, indicates that Roberts may have been familiar with the work of Charles Bayliss, the leading photographer in Sydney during the late 1870s and 1880s (Lendon 76). Like Roberts, Bayliss is most famous for his landscapes, so it is ironic that both artists found such similarities inside the shearing shed. Consider, for instance, a comparison of Bayliss’s albumen print (1880) and Roberts’ The Golden Fleece(1894). Although Bayliss captures this image in a photograph, the technology, in fact, did not allow for the spontaneity which is today associated with the camera. Like Roberts in his paintings, Bayliss had to pose each individual within the picture, taking into account the shutter speed so that nothing blurred (Lendon 78). In doing so, the “action” of the photograph becomes entirely as fabricated as in a painting. Furthermore, both artists have avoided focusing on a prominent central figure, choosing instead to exhibit the entire shearing process, from the lowest tar-boy (seen smiling in both images) to the wealthiest employers. Both Roberts and Bayliss allow the viewer’s eyes to travel naturally to these employers, as well; a line of empty space leads to the foreman in Shearing, and in Bayliss’s work, the owner, overseer, and foreman stare decisively and directly into the camera (Lendon 79).
By examining the influence of photography on Roberts’ paintings, we can see the extent to which he adapted to his surroundings, faithfully recreating the scenes in front of him. In doing so, his art becomes legitimized as authentic historical interpretations, becoming the window into a world of the past.
Images:
Photograph at Newstead. 1893.
Roberts, Tom. Photograph: Shearing Shed at Brocklesby Station, Corowa. Private Collection.
Bayliss, Charles. albumen print. Private Collection.
Roberts, Tom. The Golden Fleece (Shearing at Newstead). Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.