Australia, long before it was actually discovered, was born out of a European need to virtually invent the notion of a fifth continent. Partly through fragmentary evidence, partly through a yearning of the imagination, this notion resolved an enduring mystery: completing a north-south, hemispheric definition of the whole world. When Captain James Cook discovered the east coast of Australia, Europeans’ comprehension of Earth’s great land masses began to alter radically.
Art and Australia: European Preludes and Parallels is a new lecture course over two years that explores the idea of Australia before it was discovered, then chronicles the forging of a nation, a culture and an artistic tradition echoing the art of Europe, yet at the same time with its own distinctive light, landscape and preoccupations.
The first year of the course begins with the voyages of the Portuguese in the 15th century, through colonial settlement, to the beginning of WWI, unfolding a fascinating story of topographic illustration, scientific pursuit, collisions with indigenous worlds, and the production of beautiful works of art suffused with a spirit of curiosity.
With expert specialist lecturers – some familiar from last year’s Decoding the Baroque II – and a host of new names, this course is central to understanding the history of Australian art. Art and Australia: European Preludes and Parallels is proudly sponsored by 
View lecture listing and book online |
