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Title

(Richard Buttong, Coolangatta)

1895

Artist

Julian Ashton

England, Australia

27 Jan 1851 – 27 Apr 1942

  • Details

    Date
    1895
    Media category
    Watercolour
    Materials used
    pencil, watercolour on paper
    Dimensions
    36.8 x 29.6 cm sight; 54.0 x 47.0 cm frame
    Signature & date

    Signed and dated l.r., pencil 'Julian Ashton/ [1898? / 1895? illeg.]’.

    Credit
    Gift of Joanna Jenkins 2020. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
    Location
    Not on display
    Accession number
    174.2020
    Copyright

    Reproduction requests

    Artist information
    Julian Ashton

    Works in the collection

    30

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  • About

    This watercolour portrait is of Richard Buttong, an Aboriginal man from the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales. It was commissioned by the Berry family from the esteemed Sydney painter Julian Ashton.

    Richard Buttong lived near, and possibly worked at, the Coolangatta estate in the Shoalhaven, established by Alexander Berry in 1822 as the first land grant in the region. Mr Buttong was first recorded in the blanket returns for Coolangatta estate in 1834 and subsequent years thereafter. The commission by an artist of the renown of Ashton would suggest both the establishment status of the Berry family but also the regard they held for Mr Buttong, and his place in the community.

Other works by Julian Ashton

See all 30 works