| A break away! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Tom Roberts |
| Year | 1891 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 137.3 cm × 167.8 cm (54.1 in × 66.1 in) |
| Location | Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide |
A break away! is an 1891 painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts.
| A break away! | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist | Tom Roberts |
| Year | 1891 |
| Medium | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 137.3 cm × 167.8 cm (54.1 in × 66.1 in) |
| Location | Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide |
A break away! is an 1891 painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts.
The painting depicts a mob of thirsty sheep stampeding towards a dam. A drover on horseback is attempting to turn the mob before they drown or crush each other in their desire to drink.[1] The painting, an "icon of Australian art", is part of a series of works by Roberts that "captures what was an emerging spirit of national identity."[1]
Roberts painted the work at Corowa.[2] The painting depicts a time of drought, with little grass and the soil kicked up as dust.[1] The work itself is a reflection on the pioneering days of the pastoral industry, which were coming to an end by the 1890s.[1] Arthur Streeton recalled years later: "To paint that masterpiece [A break away!], Roberts travelled for six weeks with the drovers."[3]
The painting formed part of the 1898 Exhibition of Australian Art in London, the first major exhibition of Australian art internationally.
A break away! is now part of the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia having been purchased in 1899.[4] It was included in Quintessence Editions Ltd.'s 2007 book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die.[5]
