Tom Roberts
(England, Australia 08 Mar 1856–14 Sep 1931)
- Title
- Smike Streeton age 24
- Place of origin
-
Sydney →
New South Wales →
Australia
- Year
- 1891
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
-
45.7 x 35.7cm stretcher; 61.5 x 51.5 x 8.0cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.l. corner, incised "TOM ROBERTS 91.".
- Credit
- Purchased 1945
- Accession number
- 7442
- Location
- Not on display
- Further information
Tom Roberts' portrait of his close friend and colleague Arthur Streeton was made in Sydney in 1891, and Roberts kept it until his death. It is a 'friendship portrait' – informal and highly personal, expressive of the bond of camaraderie and respect between the two artists.
Roberts probably painted the oil while camping with Streeton at Little Sirius Cove on Sydney Harbour. Although Roberts is perhaps better known for his grand subject paintings and landscapes during the 1890s, he was also an outstanding portrait painter. Over a third of his artistic output was devoted to portraiture, and throughout his life he largely supported himself through commissions in this genre.
- Bibliography (38)
-
Sarah Engledow (Australia) (Author), Impressions: painting light & life, Canberra, 2011, 11, 72 (caption), 73 (colour illus.). cat.no. 28
Jeanette Hoorn (Editor), Reframing Darwin: evolution and the arts in Australia, Carlton, 2009, 128 (colour illus.).
'Learning to look at art: Introducing and inspiring art lovers of the future' by Pat Kreuiter, pg. 12-13., Look Oct 2008, Oct 2008, 12 (colour illus.). A group of school children are pictured in front of the painting.
Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales: highlights from the collection, Sydney, 2008, 59 (colour illus.).
John McDonald (Australia, b.1961) (Author), Art of Australia. Vol. 1: Exploration to Federation, Sydney, 2008, 395 (colour illus.).
'Love's lasting impress' by Elizabeth Fortescue, pg. 84, Daily telegraph 16 Jun 2007, 16 Jun 2007, 84 (colour illus.).
'Smike ♥ Florry: Streeton's hidden message of love' by Robin Usher, pg. 11., The Sydney Morning Herald 13 Jun 2007, 13 Jun 2007, 11 (colour illus.).
'Artist's secret love' by Alison Barclay, pg. 18., Herald Sun 13 Jun 2007, 13 Jun 2007, 18 (colour illus.).
'A Florry of activity' by Robin Usher, pg. 16, Age 13 Jun 2007, 13 Jun 2007, 16 (colour illus.).
'Secret love long lost, but its ghost lingers' by Melissa Iaria, pg. 4., Courier Mail 13 Jun 2007, 13 Jun 2007, 4 (colour illus.).
'Southern lights' by Terence Lane, pg. 14., Age 24 Mar 2007, 24 Mar 2007, 14 (illus.).
Terence Lane (Editor), Australian Impressionism, Melbourne, 2007, 186, 335, 192 (colour illus.). cat.no. 10.9
Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Domain, 2000, 38, 45 (colour illus.), 300.
Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Patricia James (Author), 19th century Australian watercolours, drawing and pastels from the Gallery's collection, Domain, 2005, 84 (colour illus.).
'Tom Roberts' by unknown author, pg. 14, Look Apr 1997, Apr 1997, 7 (illus.), 15 (colour illus.).
'Tom Roberts Bailed Up' by Janet Hawley, pg. 32-39., Good Weekend 24 Feb 1996, 24 Feb 1996, 37 (colour illus.).
Humphrey McQueen (Author), Tom Roberts, Sydney, 1996, 640.
Ron Radford (Australia, b.1949) (Author), Humphrey McQueen (Author), Mary Eagle (Australia, b.1944) (Author), Virginia Spate (Australia) (Author), Daniel Thomas (Author), Jane Hylton (b.1950) (Author), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Author), Leigh Astbury (b.1950) (Author), Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Roger Butler (Australia, b.1948) (Author), Jane Hylton (b.1950) (Author), Tom Roberts, Adelaide, 1996, 138, 139 (colour illus.), 203 (illus.).
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Frank McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The artists' camps 'plein air' painting in Australia, Victoria, 1992, 58 (colour illus.). plate no. 61
Julian Faigan (Australia) (Author), Uncommon Australians: towards an Australian portrait gallery, Sydney, 1992, 80 (colour illus.).
Bohemians in the bush: the artists' camps of Mosman 1991, 1991, 78-79. cat.no. 63
S L Goldberg (Editor), F B Smith (Editor), Australian cultural history, Cambridge, 1988, cover (illus.), 195-96, 206 (illus.). plate no. 6
Geoffrey Dutton (Australia, b.1922, d.1998) (Author), Famous Australian Art - Tom Roberts 1856-1931, Brisbane, 1987, 41 (colour illus.).
Jane Clark (Australia) (Author), Bridget Whitelaw (Author), Golden summers: Heidelberg and beyond, Melbourne, 1985, 154 (colour illus.).
'The artist in society', pg. 1-22., Images in opposition: Australian landscape painting 1801-1890 1985, 1985, 19 (illus.), 175. titled 'Arthur Streeton'
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts 1856-1931: a catalogue raisonné. Volume 2 - Plates, Melbourne, 1985, (colour illus.). plate no. 82
Helen Topliss (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts 1856-1931: a catalogue raisonné. Volume 1 - Text, Melbourne, 1985, 120, 121. cat.no. 173
Bernard Smith (Australia, b.1916, d.2011) (Author), Place, taste and tradition: a study of Australian art since 1788, South Melbourne, 1979, 2 (illus.), 11. frontispiece
Virginia Spate (Australia) (Author), Tom Roberts, Melbourne, 1978, 109 (colour illus.), 117. plate no. 29
'Tom Roberts' by Daniel Thomas, pg. 466-487., Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly (Vol. 10, No. 4) Jul 1969, Jul 1969, 469 (illus.), 471.
Alan McCulloch (Australia, b.1907, d.1992) (Author), John Henshaw (New Zealand; Australia, b.1929, d.2006) (Editor), The golden age of Australian painting - Impressionism and the Heidelberg school, Melbourne, 1969, (colour illus.). plate no. 30
Clive Turnbull (Author), Jean Campbell (Australia) (Author), Daniel Thomas (Author), Australian painting: colonial, impressionist, contemporary, Adelaide, 1962, 40. cat.no. 47
Robert Campbell (Australia, b.1902, d.1972) (Author), Paintings of Tom Roberts, Adelaide, 1962, 20, 21 (colour illus.). titled 'Smike'; plate missing from AGNSW copy
Author Unknown (Author), The Adelaide Festival of Arts 1962: Special exhibitions at the National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 1962. titled 'Portrait of Arthur Streeton'; cat.no. 53; not paginated
Hal Missingham (Australia, b.1906, d.1994) (Author), A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Domain, 1953. titled 'Athur Streeton'; cat.no. 58
National Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Tom Roberts exhibition, National Art Gallery of NSW: souvenir catalogue, Sydney, 1947, 11. titled ‘Sir Arthur Streeton’; cat.no. 13
Lionel Lindsay (Australia, b.1874, d.1961) (Author), Streeton memorial exhibition souvenir catalogue, Sydney, 1945, (illus.).
A memorial exhibition of paintings by the late Tom Roberts (1932), Melbourne, 1932. titled ‘Portrait, Arthur Streeton, 1881’; cat.no. 45; not paginated
- Exhibition history (26)
-
A memorial exhibition of paintings by the late Tom Roberts (1932), Fine Arts Society Gallery, 21 Jun 1932–02 Jul 1932.
Tom Roberts - Retrospective Exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria [Swanston Street], Nov 1947–Jan 1948.
Tom Roberts - Retrospective Exhibition, Art Gallery of South Australia, Nov 1947–Jan 1948.
Tom Roberts - Retrospective Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Nov 1947–Jan 1948.
A retrospective exhibition of Australian painting, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 25 Sep 1953–25 Oct 1953.
Artists by artists (1954), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Nov 1954–05 Dec 1954.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), National Gallery of South Australia, 17 Mar 1962–31 Mar 1962.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), Art Gallery of Western Australia, 23 Sep 1962–24 Oct 1962.
Australian Painting: Colonial, Impressionist, Contemporary (1962-63), Tate Britain, 24 Jan 1963–03 Mar 1963.
The artists' camps: Plein air painting in Melbourne 1885-1898, Monash University Gallery, 07 Jun 1984–11 Jul 1984.
The artists' camps: Plein air painting in Melbourne 1885-1898, S.H. Ervin Gallery, 02 Aug 1984–04 Sep 1984.
Bohemians in the bush: the artists' camps of Mosman, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Jun 1991–25 Aug 1991.
Uncommon Australians: Towards an Australian Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 06 May 1992–28 Jun 1992.
Uncommon Australians: Towards an Australian Portrait Gallery, National Gallery of Australia, 10 Jul 1992–09 Aug 1992.
Uncommon Australians: Towards an Australian Portrait Gallery, Queensland Art Gallery, 25 Aug 1992–20 Sep 1992.
Uncommon Australians: Towards an Australian Portrait Gallery, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 22 Oct 1992–22 Nov 1992.
Uncommon Australians: Towards an Australian Portrait Gallery, Art Gallery of South Australia, 03 Dec 1992–31 Jan 1993.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of South Australia, 05 Oct 1996–17 Nov 1996.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, 30 Nov 1996–27 Jan 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 12 Feb 1997–06 Apr 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of New South Wales, 19 Apr 1997–01 Jun 1997.
Tom Roberts (1996-1997), Art Gallery of Western Australia, 11 Jun 1997–27 Jul 1997.
Inaugural permanent display, National Portrait Gallery [Old Parliament House], 04 Mar 1999–04 Mar 2000.
Australian icons: twenty artists from the collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 04 Aug 2000–03 Dec 2000.
Australian Impressionism, Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, 31 Mar 2007–08 Jul 2007.
Impressions: painting light and life, National Portrait Gallery [Parliamentary Zone], 25 Nov 2011–04 Mar 2012.
