Brought to Light Australian Art 1850-1965

Elements of Old and New Worlds collide: the elegant decanter to the left has been engulfed by scaly vines; the central silver vase shows a naked female figure lounging on a bed of flowers, her leg casually resting on a shell. The jug at rear — almost identical to that in Lamented heroes — is decorated with cherubs reminiscent of the Antique, but is capped with a figure known to Victorian society as the noble savage'. This invented figure, originating in medieval Europe and refined in the colonies, was of particular use when illustrating the processes of natural selection and linear progress. Neither noble man (aristocratic) nor wild savage (original), the figure is in flux between these two positions, and is a critique of both. A pink-tinged twilit landscape stretches out beyond the ivy clad window, awaiting exploration in the morning. The window is glassless, like a verandah — that space where natural exterior meets domestic interior — allowing the ivy to creep into the room and become part of the still life. Fruits Flo w ers Key to fruit and flora Nature is included as an active, vigorous i Grape Vitis vinifera 7 Californian poppy Eschscholzia californica species in Henry Short's and somewhat threatening part of the (European grape) 8 Carnation D ianthus caryophyllus Fruit and flowers. colonial world, not solely a subject 2 Passion flower Passiflora m carnata 9 Celosía Celosía sp. Information supplied of cultivation. 3 Peach Prunus pérsica 10 Chincherinchee O rnlthogalum thyrsoides by Phil Cameron, 4 Pear Pyrus com m unis 11 Coleus Solen ostem o n scutellarioides Botanical Officer, Subtle though they may be, these (common pear) 12 Cornflower C entaurea cyanus Brisbane Botanic vignettes attest to the optimistic belief in 5 Pineapple A nanas com osu s 13 Foxglove D igitalis purpurea Gardens, Mt Coot-tha, the potential for an arcadian life in the 6 Strawberry Fragaria m oschata 14 Fuschia Fuchsia X hybrida September 1997 colonies, where the bountiful nature of the (common strawberry) 15 Sunflower Fieiianthus sp. New World could be enjoyed alongside 16 Honeysuckle Lonicera japón ica the gifts of culture from the Old, coexisting 17 Iris Irls germ anica in a democratic harmony only possible 18 Ivy H ederá helix outside the old social order. The streets 19 Lantana Lantana cam ara may not have been paved with gold, 20 Mallow (hollyhock) A lcea rosea nor did they run with milk and honey, 21 Morning glory C onvovulus sp. but Shorts ambition was to reflect on that 22 Phlox Phlox drum m ondil as a very real possibility.3 23 Pincushion Scabiosa sp. 24 Pinks D ianthus sp. Robyn D a w is an e d u ca tio n o ffic e r/vo lu n te e r guide 25 Plumbago Plum bago auriculata (blue) lectu rer a t th e Q u ee n sla n d A rt G allery. Plum bago alba (white) 26 Potato vine Solanum jasm m o ides 27 Pyrethrum Pyrethrum sp. 28 Rose Rosa sp. 29 Snapdragon A ntrrh inu m m ajus 30 Star of Bethlehem O rnlthogalum arabicum 31 Woodbine C lem atis virgim ana ANTIPODEAN BOUNTY: AGarden of Summer Delight 21