South Australia Illustrated: Colonial painting in the Land of Promise

South Australia colonial art has been largely overlooked in the context of the history of the art of Australia in the 19th century. South Australia illustrated: colonial painting in the land of promise was a large exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. It examined the relationship between the colonial art of South Australia and that of other colonies, in particular New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. South Australia’s very early art differs significantly from the art of those colonies, presenting an optimistic view of colonial development and success. The works produced by many of the colony’s early artists can be seen as statements of ambition, and a reflection of the reasons why many early settlers migrated to the “land of promise” as South Australia was known. The lack of convicts, particularly, was seen by settlers as a major bonus, many of whom hoped to achieve wealth and status unavailable to them back in England. The middle period of South Australian art was examined in the context of the gold rush affecting both New South Wales and Victoria. The works of several significant artists who chose Aboriginal people as their subjects were examined in depth. Late nineteenth-century South Australian art was looked at in the context of Australian Impressionism, so important and influential particularly in Victoria, and the more iconic, national self-conscious works that emanated from South Australia in this late period.