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Artwork Description

The artist Robert Dowling took drawing lessons from a number of Tasmanian artists, including Thomas Bock, and became the first important colonial artist trained in Australia. In 1854, he moved to Geelong, Victoria, intent on making a reputation as a portrait painter.When Dowling painted this extraordinary mourning tableau, Jane Sceales (née Paton) was a 34-year-old widow with young children. Her husband, Adolphus, had died some two years earlier; the groom-held chestnut mount had been his, the dogs as well. In 1848, Jane had come out from Scotland to marry and raise a family in Australia. In 1852, Adolphus purchased ‘Merrang’, a huge 44,910-acre run on the Hopkins River in the Western District of Victoria. The painting’s imagery evokes a shared life, sadly cut short.In 1856, in the Kilnoorat Church, Jane remarried. Her second husband, Robert Hood, was another emigrant Scot and a widower with a family. He went on to purchase ‘Merrang’ from Sceales’s trustees for £11,000 and so Jane, who lived until 1910, became the matriarch of a notable pastoral family. Their descendants still own the property.‘Merrang’ meant brown snake to the Mopors, the displaced local Indigenous tribe. Jimmie, the young groom, was one of many Aboriginal people employed on ‘Merrang’ and neighbouring properties, as was Jane’s long-serving housemaid Jeanie, who died there in 1899. The men worked as station hands and their horsemanship and skill with stock were particularly admired. The artist Eugene von Guérard celebrated this in Cutting out the cattle, Kangatong, painted for James Dawson, the anthropologist–pastoralist and Hood’s friend, in 1855.Jimmie looked after the stables and cared for 24 horses on ‘Merrang’. I like to think he worked with them as welland perhaps, like his Mopor cousin Johnnie, head stock-keeper on Dawson’s ‘Kangatong’, galloped freely across the lush green open woodland plains that no longer belonged to his people.John Jones, 2002Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2010From: Anne Gray (ed), Australian art in the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002

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Artist Biography

a colonial artist's journey

robert hawker dowling, a prominent australian colonial artist, was born in essex, england in 1827. as the youngest son of rev. henry dowling and his wife elizabeth, née darke, he was brought to launceston, tasmania with his parents in 1839. this marked the beginning of his artistic journey.

early training and career

dowling received lessons from thomas bock and frederick strange, which laid the foundation for his future as a portrait painter. in 1850, he advertised his services as a portrait painter, signaling the start of his professional career.

notable works and exhibitions

* between 1859 and 1882, dowling exhibited 16 pictures at the royal academy, with additional works showcased at the british institute. * his portraits of notable figures such as sir henry loch, dr. james moorhouse, and francis ormond are particularly noteworthy.

legacy and later life

dowling's time in launceston and later in melbourne was marked by his prolific output of portraits. eventually, he returned to london, where he passed away in 1886.

view robert hawker dowling's artworks on ArtsDot
explore the top 5 famous artists of all time to understand the broader context of colonial artists like dowling.
discover more about the royal academy's history and its impact on artists like dowling through this article on chelmsford museum, united kingdom.

key takeaways: * robert hawker dowling's artistic career was marked by his training under thomas bock and frederick strange. * his portraits of sir henry loch, dr. james moorhouse, and francis ormond are notable examples of his work. * dowling's legacy as a colonial artist continues to be celebrated through his artworks showcased on ArtsDot. robert hawker dowling's story serves as a testament to the enduring power of art in capturing the essence of a bygone era.

robert hawker dowling

1827 - 1886 , United Kingdom

Quick Facts

Artistic Movement Or Style: Romanticism, Pre-Raphaelite
Artists Or Movements Influenced By This Artist:
- Eugène Delacroix
- Romanticism
Artists Who Influenced This Artist:
- Raphael
- Michelangelo
- Dürer
- Emanuel Swedenborg
Date Of Birth: November 28, 1757
Date Of Death: August 12, 1827
Full Name: William Blake
Nationality: British
Notable Artworks:
- Songs of Innocence
- Songs of Experience
- The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
- Jerusalem
Place Of Birth: London, England

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Mrs Adolphus Sceales with Black Jimmie on Merrang Station

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