Art exhibition – Tom Roberts to open at the National Gallery of Australia

A celebration of Australia Art

Tom Roberts is one of Australia’s most recognised artists, loved by Australians and art lovers around the world. The National Gallery of Australia (NGV) in Canberra, is celebrating the work of Tom Roberts with an exhibition opening on Friday 4 December, 2015.
Tom Roberts will bring together major works from public and private collections, from the early days studying at London’s Royal Academy in 1883 until 1931. Featuring over 130 works of art, the exhibition is remarkable in its ambition and scope, and is set to be unveiled together with a complete rehang of the national collection.
‘We have commenced an ambitious project to transform the experience at the NGA’ said Gerard Vaughan, Director. ‘Every time you visit the Gallery there will be new discoveries as we constantly revitalise the galleries dedicated to the permanent collection. The exhibition, which explores the idea of truly Australian imagery in the lead up to Federation—from Shearing the rams to A break away!—is a must see for all Australians, and especially school students.’
The paintings by Tom Roberts helped to define our visual culture. He was among the first to promote outdoor landscape painting and his Impressionist landscapes set the tone for much that was to follow. Roberts’ seminal painting, which he called the Big Picture will be shown with his other major works. The enormous painting, 3 by 5 metres, captures recognisable portraits of 265 dignitaries at the Federation of Australia ceremony in May of 1901. This is the first time the painting has moved since it was hung in Parliament House in 1988.
The rehang includes moving the entire Australian collection downstairs, and while many favourites and highlights will remain, there will also be new works. International art, including Jackson Pollock’s famous Blue Poles (1952), will move upstairs into refurbished gallery spaces.
Tom Roberts opens on 4 December 2015, until 28 March 2016 and tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.

Make the most of it and spend a weekend enjoying the many delights of Canberra. There are plenty of fantastic hotels to choose from, including QT Canberra, Hotel Hotel, Hotel Kurrajong and East.

Contact details
National Gallery of Australia
nga.gov.au