Tom Roberts
1856–1931 · English-born Australian painter and key figure of the Heidelberg School
Thomas William Roberts (Dorchester, 1856 - Kallista, 1931) was an English-born Australian artist and one of the central figures of the Heidelberg School, the movement that brought Impressionism and plein air painting to Australia. He matters because he helped Australian art turn its gaze toward its own landscape and rural life. Nicknamed "Bulldog" for his tenacity, he was regarded as the movement's principal driving force.
He arrived in Melbourne as a child, in 1869, when his family emigrated. In Collingwood he worked as a photographer's assistant while studying art at night under teachers such as Frederick McCubbin. Between 1881 and 1884 he studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London, and in 1883 he travelled through Spain with John Russell, where he met Laureano Barrau and Ramon Casas, who introduced him to Impressionism and plein air work. Back in Victoria, he co-founded the Box Hill artists' camp with McCubbin in 1885, and in 1889 he helped stage the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition with Streeton and Conder.
His best-known works are his large national narratives: Shearing the Rams (1890), A break away! (1891) and Bailed Up (1895). In 1903 he completed the commissioned work The Big Picture, a depiction of the first Australian Parliament. To earn a living he worked mainly as a society portraitist, and he was among the first to push for Australia to have its own National Portrait Gallery.
He married Elizabeth Williamson in 1896, and they had a son, Caleb. During the First World War he worked at a hospital in England. He later built a house at Kallista, near Melbourne, where he died of cancer in 1931. His legacy lies in encouraging other artists to depict the national life of Australia, with its landscapes, rural labour and distinctive light.
Works (12)
Where to see the work
- National Gallery of Victoria City of Melbourne · 3
- Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide · 2
- Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney · 2
- National Gallery of Australia Canberra · 2
- Royal Collection · 1
- Art Gallery of Ballarat City of Ballarat · 1
Curiosities
The nickname Bulldog
Roberts was nicknamed "Bulldog" for his tenacity and drive. That energy, together with his age and influence, made him the de facto leader of the movement, although he never presented himself as one. His companions remembered him as a constant driving force in the group's life and work.
A wife who made picture frames
Lillie Roberts was an expert maker of picture frames. Between 1903 and 1914, when Roberts painted relatively little, much of the family's income apparently came from her work. It is a detail that shows how the household depended on an activity rarely associated with the world of painting, and that the family's finances were not solely tied to his canvases.
Ashes in Tasmania
His ashes were buried in the churchyard at Illawarra, near Longford, Tasmania. This was one of his favourite painting spots, so his final resting place became linked to the landscapes that had interested him throughout his career. It is a quiet connection between the artist and the countryside he returned to again and again.