Jubilee exhibition of Australian art

C A R V E D FIGURES I I A S P I R I T CALLED DUR I DUR I II. EARLY COLON I AL ART By the Artist Bununggu. GEORGE FRENCH ANGAS , 1822-1886 Collected by R . a nd C. Berndt in N.E. Arnhem Land, 1946-7. Born Newcastle-on-Tyne. Studied London. Arrived Adelaide 1844 a n d travelled extensively. An D e p a r t m e n t o f A n t h r o p o l o g y , U n i v e r s i t y o f S y d n e y . accomplished draughtsman, Angas published illustrated books o n Australia a n d N e w Zealand, showing topographical views d r a w n i n a romantic style. Returned t o L o n d o n 1861. Duriduri is a female spirit belonging to t h e L a n d o f t h e D e a d located a t 'Badu,' n e a r t h e Torres 27 VOLCAN I C H I L L N E AR M O U N T SCHANK , S O U T H AUSTRAL IA, 1844 Straits Islands o r Southern N e w Guinea. T h e design represents clouds (triangular incising) which a r e usually sent t o t h e N o r t h Coast b y this spirit, with falling r a i n (bands between triangles). Unsigned. Inscribed Mo u n t Schank. Watercolour, 6 ins. x 10 ins. 22 A MACASSAN WOMAN National Gallery o South Australia. Artist unknown. Collected by R . a nd C. Berndt in N.E. Arnhem Land, 19467. H E N R Y B U R N , Middle 19th Century D e p a r t m e n t o f A n t h r o p o l o g y , U n i v e r s i t y o f S y d n e y . English artist. Worked i n Victoria from t h e 'fifties to t h e 'seventies. Executed a n umb e r o f sketches T h e m a i n design o n this figure represents t h e pattern associated w i t h cloth introduced b y Macassan i n a n d a r o u n d Melbourne in a n accomplished style o f topographical draughtsmanship. T h e goldfield traders. T h e white disc i n t h e centre o f t h e chest straps represents a Macassan silver coin, period is superseded i n his work b y t h e growing importance o f expanding cities. 28 SWANSTON S T R E E T F R O M PR INCES BRIDGE 23 A FEMALE S P I R I T Signed a nd dated Henry Burn, 1861; 1.1. Artist unknown. Oil on Canvas, 271ins. x 351 ins. Collected by R . a n d C. Berndt in N.E. Arnhem Land , 1946-7. National Gallery o f Victoria. Department o f Anthropology, University o f Sydney. T h i s carved figure is o f a female spirit w h o was one o f t h e wives o f M u r u l m a t h e T u r t l e M a n , whose ROBERT D O W L I N G , 1827-1886 country was Bremer Island, off t h e north-eastern corner o f A r n h e m L a n d . This woma n , like her husband, is related to t h e turtle a n d t h e m a i n design o n t h e figure represents reefs a n d waves. Born England. Son o f first Baptist Minister o f Launceston, Tasmania. Studied i n London i n 1856. His simplified presentation o f aborigines infuses nature a n d figures alike with a n air o f primitivism, carried o u t i n emphatic d a r k tones a n d well-balanced composition. *24 HEAD O F KIMAS IMA , A JAPANESE 29 TASMAN I AN ABORIGINES By the Artist Munggeraui. Unsigned. Collected by R . a n d C. Berndt in N.E. Arnhem Land, 1946-7. Oil on canvas, 26 ins. x 48 ins. Department o f Anthropology, University o f Sydney. National Gallery o f Victoria. T h e pattern, a n incised triangular mo t i f i n red, white, black a n d yellow, is derived from t h e design o f cloth introduced b y t h e Macassans. I n this case, however, i t signifies clouds a n d rain. T h e top o f t h e h e a d is d ome d slightly a n d painted white. Kimasima was a n engineer o n one o f the Japanese pearling luggers which worked off t h e n o r t h coast between 1925 a n d 1940. H e was killed d u r i n g a B E N J AM I N DU T E R R E AU , 1767-1851 spearing incident. A t o n e t i me K i ma s i ma was t h e employer o f t h e artist Munggeraui. Born London, where h e studied. C a m e t o H o b a r t i n 1833. F t artist t o give a lecture o n a r t i n Australia. Painted several pictures o f T a s m a n i a n aborigines, also portraits o f settlers a n d landscapes. 23 T H E MYTH I CAL WOMAN , BUNBULAMA 30 SULL IVAN ' S COVE , 1839 Artist unknown. Unsigned. Collected by C. P. Mountford a t Yirrkalla, 1948. Oil on canvas, 23 ins. x 29 ins. Department o f the Interior (News and Information Bureau). Qu e e n Victoria Museum a n d A r t Gallery, Launceston. B u n b u l ama is said t o h a v e been responsible for creating t h e r a i n i n certain parts o f A r n h e m Land. A rectangle o f dots o n t h e b o d y represents t h e clouds she has m a d e ; t h e vertical bands indicate rain. A U G U S T U S EARLE, First Half 19th Century 26 T JAMBUL T H E THUNDER -MAN Born England. K n o w n as ' t h e wandering artist,' h e h a d travelled widely before coming t o Sydney in 1825. His panoramic views o f Sydney a n d H o b a r t were exhibited i n London. His 'Australian Scrap Artist unknown. Book' was published i n 1830. Also a portrait painter. We n t t o N e w Zealand i n 1828. Collected by C. P. Mountford a t Yirrkalla, 1948. 31 FEMALE OR P HAN SCHOOL , PARRAMATTA , N E W S O U T H WALES Department o f the Interior (News a nd Information Bureau). Unsigned. A diagonal line o f dots o n t h e b o d y represents white stones which T j a m b u l throws into t h e sky t o Watercolour, 7 ins. x 12 ins. m a k e t h e thunderclouds, which, in turn, a r e indicated b y curving lines. F r om the N a n Kivell Collection b y courtesy o f the Commonwealth National Library. 26 27