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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, Ballet Russe
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
When Betty Churcher joined the National Gallery of Australia in 1990, the first 'hidden treasure' she found was one of the world's finest collections of costumes from the celebrated Ballets Russes. Commissioned in Paris by Serge Diaghilev for his revolutionary troupe of dancers, many of these gorgeous costumes hav...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
Description
When Betty Churcher joined the National Gallery of Australia in 1990, the first 'hidden treasure' she found was one of the world's finest collections of costumes from the celebrated Ballets Russes. Commissioned in Paris by Serge Diaghilev for his revolutionary troupe of dancers, many of these gorgeous costumes have been handpainted by radical young artists who were to become giants of 20th century art, among them: Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chiric...
When Betty Churcher joined the National Gallery of Australia in 1990, the first 'hidden treasure' she found was one of the world's finest collections of costumes from the celebrated Ballets Russes. Commissioned in Paris by Serge Diaghilev for his revolutionary troupe of dancers, many of these gorgeous costumes have been handpainted by radical young artists who were to become giants of 20th century art, among them: Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chirico, Natalia Goncharova and Jean Cocteau. Without Diaghilev, the course of modern art could well have been different, because he had the entrepreneurial flair to hear and celebrate the drumbeat of a new century. His genius lay in spotting genius in others. He brought together in creative collaboration some of the most original, inventive and difficult young artists of the early 1900s, such as the painter Pablo Picasso, the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky and the composer Igor Stravinsky. Among the stars in the National Gallery of Australia's collection is Matisse's design for the Chief Mourner in the Song of the Nightingale. There's also Leon Baskt's costume designed for Nijinsky in The Blue God. It is marked with his make-up, which the gallery's conservators carefully preserve — for the stains are as much a part of history as the costume itself. After Diaghilev's death in 1929, a number of new groups followed his original troupe. When the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo toured Australia in 1940, Sidney Nolan was commissioned to design the sets and costumes for Icare — adding his own brand of poetic lyricism and his Australian accent to this artistic treasure-trove.
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Field of Study
Classical Music
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Topic / Theme
Painters, Costumes, Ballet
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, Fiona Hall
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
The many exotic species brought back from the South Pacific by 18th century European explorers fuelled the western imagination with ideas of paradise lost (in the old world) and regained (in the new).
Australian artist Fiona Hall has created a series of stunning botanical sculptures from sardine tins that she cal...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
Description
The many exotic species brought back from the South Pacific by 18th century European explorers fuelled the western imagination with ideas of paradise lost (in the old world) and regained (in the new).
Australian artist Fiona Hall has created a series of stunning botanical sculptures from sardine tins that she calls Paradisus Terrestris. The lids of the tins roll back to reveal tiny sculptural forms.
The series alludes to the western world’s n...
The many exotic species brought back from the South Pacific by 18th century European explorers fuelled the western imagination with ideas of paradise lost (in the old world) and regained (in the new).
Australian artist Fiona Hall has created a series of stunning botanical sculptures from sardine tins that she calls Paradisus Terrestris. The lids of the tins roll back to reveal tiny sculptural forms.
The series alludes to the western world’s notion of the Garden of Eden and to the enormous variety of botanical species, and implies that paradise may be lost if environmental degradation is allowed to continue.
If, as the saying goes, money doesn’t grow on trees then, in Leaf Litter, Fiona Hall seems also to be telling us that there are some things that no amount of money can buy. In this work, she again reminds us of the fragile diversity of the natural world.
The series consists of 183 sheets each containing a life-size portrait of a leaf, meticulously painted in gouache over banknotes from the leaf’s country of origin. The leaves are transparent in places so that the person on the note underneath shows through. These multiple sheets are then held together with paper tape on the back, which when hung on a wall, allows the lower part to flex and move.
As well as displaying a whimsical imagination and a quirky sense of humour, in Fiona Hall’s work there is a palpable sense of her passion for the beauty and vulnerability of all living things. Only a deep love and commitment would provide the extreme patience required to create these exquisitely delicate works of art.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006, 2011
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Fiona Hall, 1953-
Topic / Theme
Sculpture, Visual artists, Visual art
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Fiona Hall, 1953-, Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, J.W. Lindt - The Mechanical Eye of the Camera
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
It's often said that the camera doesn't lie but the photograph can be manipulated like any other art form to influence the way we read it. This episode looks at three very different examples: the mid 19th century fashion to present family portraits as costumed tableaux with picturesque or exotic themes; J. W. Lind...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
Description
It's often said that the camera doesn't lie but the photograph can be manipulated like any other art form to influence the way we read it. This episode looks at three very different examples: the mid 19th century fashion to present family portraits as costumed tableaux with picturesque or exotic themes; J. W. Lindt's 1880 photo of the body of bushranger Joe Byrne, which heralds the birth of photojournalism; and an iconic black-and-white image of...
It's often said that the camera doesn't lie but the photograph can be manipulated like any other art form to influence the way we read it. This episode looks at three very different examples: the mid 19th century fashion to present family portraits as costumed tableaux with picturesque or exotic themes; J. W. Lindt's 1880 photo of the body of bushranger Joe Byrne, which heralds the birth of photojournalism; and an iconic black-and-white image of 1950s European migration by David Moore, which was actually taken in colour in 1966 and, at the time, the family wasn't migrating at all!
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006, 2011
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
J. W. Lindt, 1845-1926
Topic / Theme
Photographers, Photography
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, J. W. Lindt, 1845-1926, Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, Max Ernst and Lake Sentani Figures
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
What kind of art does an artist collect? At the National Gallery of Australia is part of a collection once owned by European surrealist artist Max Ernst. An eclectic collection of masks and carvings from Africa and the Americas, it’s a fascinating glimpse of Ernst’s personal passions and preoccupations as an a...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by Philippa Campey, fl. 2005 and John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2011), 6 mins
Description
What kind of art does an artist collect? At the National Gallery of Australia is part of a collection once owned by European surrealist artist Max Ernst. An eclectic collection of masks and carvings from Africa and the Americas, it’s a fascinating glimpse of Ernst’s personal passions and preoccupations as an artist.
Like other surrealists, Ernst felt himself to be at the tail end of a European tradition that had for centuries been dedicated...
What kind of art does an artist collect? At the National Gallery of Australia is part of a collection once owned by European surrealist artist Max Ernst. An eclectic collection of masks and carvings from Africa and the Americas, it’s a fascinating glimpse of Ernst’s personal passions and preoccupations as an artist.
Like other surrealists, Ernst felt himself to be at the tail end of a European tradition that had for centuries been dedicated to visual realism. To his eyes, the indigenous artists he collected had by birthright what the surrealists longed for: access to human instincts that lie buried under the layers of inhibitions and societal taboos of European civilisation.
American-born British sculptor Jacob Epstein was also an avid collector. Amongst his collection were a series of imposing figures, probably from the 18th century. Dredged up from the bottom of Lake Sentani in West Papua in 1929, they once would have formed the post of a house built over its water. Now they’re part of the National Gallery’s collection.
In Australia, it was the European surrealists who most inspired a group of young artists in Melbourne as they responded in their work to the trauma of the Second World War. Among them was Albert Tucker who was appalled by the licentious behaviour he saw in the blacked-out city streets. In the gallery’s collection is his Image of Modern Evil 24, with its brilliant red crescent a symbol of female depravity. Its watcher on a balcony is as weird and inventive as anything the European surrealists came up with, but the setting — a cast-iron balcony — makes it unmistakably Australian.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006, 2011
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Albert Tucker, 1914-, Max Ernst, 1891-1976
Topic / Theme
Visual artists, Visual art
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Albert Tucker, 1914-, Max Ernst, 1891-1976, Philippa Campey, fl. 2005, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, Tommy McRae and Mickey of Ulladulla
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
When Aboriginal artist Tommy McRae died in 1901, he was a man of substance in the region of Corowa and Wahgunyah on the Murray River—known as an upright character, a teetotaller and an astute financier, selling his drawings for cash.
Tommy McRae was born before his people were displaced by colonisation, and he...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
Description
When Aboriginal artist Tommy McRae died in 1901, he was a man of substance in the region of Corowa and Wahgunyah on the Murray River—known as an upright character, a teetotaller and an astute financier, selling his drawings for cash.
Tommy McRae was born before his people were displaced by colonisation, and he was keen to show the newcomers his ancient culture. He drew with pen and ink on paper and sketchbooks bought at the local newsagent in...
When Aboriginal artist Tommy McRae died in 1901, he was a man of substance in the region of Corowa and Wahgunyah on the Murray River—known as an upright character, a teetotaller and an astute financier, selling his drawings for cash.
Tommy McRae was born before his people were displaced by colonisation, and he was keen to show the newcomers his ancient culture. He drew with pen and ink on paper and sketchbooks bought at the local newsagent in Corowa, and he always began by first drawing the ground on which his figures would stand and his trees would grow. He worked up from the feet with astonishing accuracy, keeping each figure in his mind’s eye as an entirety, even when clustered. There were no generalisations—each leaf or clan marking is clearly delineated—and never a misplaced line or a correction.
Mickey of Ulladulla was a contemporary of Tommy McRae but we know little about him beyond the fact that he walked with the aid of two sticks. And that he always showed himself in his works wearing western clothes—a long coat and hat.
He drew with pencils and watercolours, and his skill lay in his depictions of the natural world of the rich coastline of Ulladulla, south of Sydney, which was then a quiet backwater, and in the beautifully precise drawings of the animals and fish that he hunted.
Both artists show the amazing adaptability of Aboriginal artists who had only recently been displaced. When these talented artists wanted to communicate with drawn images they did so with a sensitivity to detail that sets them apart.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Tommy McRae, 1835-1901
Topic / Theme
Visual artists, Internally displaced persons, Australian aboriginal people, Americans
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Tommy McRae, 1835-1901, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia, William Dobell - Sketchbooks
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
Perhaps more than most painters, William Dobell's art relied on drawing so his sketchbooks are invaluable to our appreciation of his work. Dobell never painted his portraits with the model in his studio. He liked to work alone, from studies that he made earlier. His sketchbooks allow us to see the artist's unforme...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2006), 6 mins
Description
Perhaps more than most painters, William Dobell's art relied on drawing so his sketchbooks are invaluable to our appreciation of his work. Dobell never painted his portraits with the model in his studio. He liked to work alone, from studies that he made earlier. His sketchbooks allow us to see the artist's unformed ideas gradually take shape and, as the preliminary drawings are so markedly different from the final work, give us an insight into wh...
Perhaps more than most painters, William Dobell's art relied on drawing so his sketchbooks are invaluable to our appreciation of his work. Dobell never painted his portraits with the model in his studio. He liked to work alone, from studies that he made earlier. His sketchbooks allow us to see the artist's unformed ideas gradually take shape and, as the preliminary drawings are so markedly different from the final work, give us an insight into what Dobell wanted out of his paintings.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2006
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Gallery of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Sir William Dobell, 1899-1970
Topic / Theme
Visual artists, Sketchbooks
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced with the assistance of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Sir William Dobell, 1899-1970, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia, Augustus Earle and his Dog, Jemmy
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Misadventure turned to good fortune when young English artist Augustus Earle was rescued after being marooned on a remote island and accidentally became the colony's first trained artist. Earle, who was stranded for nine months with his dog Jemmy on an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, when his ship sailed witho...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Description
Misadventure turned to good fortune when young English artist Augustus Earle was rescued after being marooned on a remote island and accidentally became the colony's first trained artist. Earle, who was stranded for nine months with his dog Jemmy on an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, when his ship sailed without him in March 1824, filled his time recording life on the island until his art supplies ran out. The artist and his dog appear in man...
Misadventure turned to good fortune when young English artist Augustus Earle was rescued after being marooned on a remote island and accidentally became the colony's first trained artist. Earle, who was stranded for nine months with his dog Jemmy on an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, when his ship sailed without him in March 1824, filled his time recording life on the island until his art supplies ran out. The artist and his dog appear in many of his island paintings. Earle was eventually picked up by a ship bound for Sydney and during the few years he lived in the colony he became its foremost painter. Included in the National Library's collection is a 1826 oil portrait of Bungaree, the first Aborigine to circumnavigate Australia.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2008
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Augustus Earle, 1793-1833
Topic / Theme
Penal colonies, Pets, Visual artists
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. With special thanks to the National Library of Australia. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Augustus Earle, 1793-1833, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia, Captain Cook's Tragic Death
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Captain James Cook's untimely return to Hawaii in 1779, 10 days after he had left, ended with his violent death, the details of which are portrayed in numerous illustrations in the National Library collection. Many artists, including the official artist for the voyage, John Webber, recreated the scene in the years...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Description
Captain James Cook's untimely return to Hawaii in 1779, 10 days after he had left, ended with his violent death, the details of which are portrayed in numerous illustrations in the National Library collection. Many artists, including the official artist for the voyage, John Webber, recreated the scene in the years following Cook's death. Each artist portrayed a different view: Cook the white knight, Cook the peacemaker, Cook the leader of a milit...
Captain James Cook's untimely return to Hawaii in 1779, 10 days after he had left, ended with his violent death, the details of which are portrayed in numerous illustrations in the National Library collection. Many artists, including the official artist for the voyage, John Webber, recreated the scene in the years following Cook's death. Each artist portrayed a different view: Cook the white knight, Cook the peacemaker, Cook the leader of a military offensive. But we know that Webber didn't witness the death so it seems likely that an engraving made from the drawings of DP Dodd and other witnesses are more likely to represent what really happened.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2008
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
James Cook, 1728-1779
Topic / Theme
Seafaring life, Attacks (Battles), Colonization
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. With special thanks to the National Library of Australia. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, James Cook, 1728-1779, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia, John Olsen's Opera House Mural
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
John Olsen's visual diary documents his progress on the biggest commission of his career, the Sydney Opera House mural. Spanning 10 years from 1972, Olsen's diary follows the evolution of his famous mural, which was inspired by Kenneth Slessor's epic poem Five Bells, a tribute to a friend who drowned in Sydney Har...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Description
John Olsen's visual diary documents his progress on the biggest commission of his career, the Sydney Opera House mural. Spanning 10 years from 1972, Olsen's diary follows the evolution of his famous mural, which was inspired by Kenneth Slessor's epic poem Five Bells, a tribute to a friend who drowned in Sydney Harbour. Slessor's own 1937 notebook sits alongside Olsen's diary detailing the gradual process of constructing an epic poem. Olsen guides...
John Olsen's visual diary documents his progress on the biggest commission of his career, the Sydney Opera House mural. Spanning 10 years from 1972, Olsen's diary follows the evolution of his famous mural, which was inspired by Kenneth Slessor's epic poem Five Bells, a tribute to a friend who drowned in Sydney Harbour. Slessor's own 1937 notebook sits alongside Olsen's diary detailing the gradual process of constructing an epic poem. Olsen guides Churcher through the creation of his mural, and the marine world of Sydney Harbour, to reveal another treasure–a hidden corner of the painting rarely seen by the public.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2008
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Kenneth Slessor, 1901-1971, John Olsen, 1928-
Topic / Theme
Poetry, Sketchbooks, Paintings
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. With special thanks to the National Library of Australia. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Kenneth Slessor, 1901-1971, John Olsen, 1928-, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia, South Sea Islander in London
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
A young Tahitian warrior named Omai enlisted as a crew member during Captain James Cook's second circumnavigation of the world. On his arrival in London in 1774 he was welcomed into the highest social circles. England's most sought-after 18th century painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted his portrait in 1774, for...
Sample
directed by John Hughes, fl. 1975; produced by John Hughes, fl. 1975, in Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australia. National Film and Sound Archive, 2008), 6 mins
Description
A young Tahitian warrior named Omai enlisted as a crew member during Captain James Cook's second circumnavigation of the world. On his arrival in London in 1774 he was welcomed into the highest social circles. England's most sought-after 18th century painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted his portrait in 1774, for which a rare sketch is held in the National Library collection. While Omai eventually returned to the islands, his story inspired a spe...
A young Tahitian warrior named Omai enlisted as a crew member during Captain James Cook's second circumnavigation of the world. On his arrival in London in 1774 he was welcomed into the highest social circles. England's most sought-after 18th century painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted his portrait in 1774, for which a rare sketch is held in the National Library collection. While Omai eventually returned to the islands, his story inspired a spectacular pantomime at Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, with costumes designed by Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, which brought ethnographic realism to a somewhat farcical plot.
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Field of Study
Art & Architecture
Content Type
Documentary
Contributor
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Author / Creator
John Hughes, fl. 1975
Date Published / Released
2008
Publisher
Australia. National Film and Sound Archive
Series
Hidden Treasures - Inside the National Library of Australia
Speaker / Narrator
Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
Person Discussed
Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723-1792, James Cook, 1728-1779
Topic / Theme
Pacific Islander ethnic groups, Colonization, Portraits, Americans
Copyright Message
A Film Australia National Interest Program in association with Early Works. Produced in association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. With special thanks to the National Library of Australia. Copyright © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.
Person
John Hughes, fl. 1975, Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1723-1792, James Cook, 1728-1779, Betty Churcher, 1931-2015
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