Heroes and Villains - Strutt's Australia

English artist William Strutt (1825–1915) lived in Melbourne between 1850 and 1862, a time of extraordinary change in Australia; Victoria became a separate colony, gold was discovered, immigration soared and a new catalogue of ‘heroic’ archetypes-bushrangers, explorers, diggers-were established in the Australian consciousness. Trained in Paris, where history painting was considered the greatest of all genres, Strutt was uniquely qualified to transfer this drama to canvas. His watercolours, portraits, prints, preparatory sketches and large oil paintings provide an unparalleled visual record of life in the colonies, and demonstrate the exhaustive approach of an academically trained artist.