Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates/File:Tom Roberts - Shearing the rams - Google Art Project.jpg

Shearing the rams

Voting period is over. Please don't add any new votes. Voting period ends on 8 Aug 2015 at 12:17:43 (UTC)

Original – As the early settlements grew into established cities and towns, the bush life that colonial settlers were living became a symbol of the nation's identity, an uniquely Australian way of living and a part of the national heritage. Art critics of the time said of the painting: "...the best illustration which has yet been given of one of the most characteristic scenes of Australian life" [The Argus 31st May 1890], and another declared that ..."Shearing the Rams is a work by which Mr. Roberts name will always be remembered" [Table Talk 30th May, 1890].

Reason

A good scan, EV, interesting theme and a famous painting, was widely regarded as an iconic depiction of a strong masculine labor ^(details). Not many Australian art FP so far. Australian painter Tom Roberts (1856 – 1931), was an influential member of the Australian art movement called Heidelberg School.^{why Heidelberg?}The painting is depicting sheep shearers, described as "the most characteristic and picturesque of the shearers and rouseabouts". He painted many of Australia's early colonists, pioneer settlers, rural labour, shearers, swagmen and mountain horsemen; fighting with the hardships of the rough environment.

Articles in which this image appears

Shearing the Rams, (own article) Tom Roberts, Click Go the Shears, National Gallery of Victoria, Culture of Australia, Shearing shed, The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company, Sheep shearing, Australian art, Brocklesby, New South Wales, Heidelberg School, History of Australia (1851–1900), Riverina

FP category for this image

Wikipedia:Featured pictures/Artwork/Paintings

Creator

Tom Roberts

• Support as nominator – Hafspajen (talk) 12:17, 29 July 2015 (UTC)
• Comment My colour-blindness makes me ill-suited to pass comment on a scan, but I can address the nominator's comment above "Why Heidelberg" — the movement was named after Heidelberg, Victoria, the locality near Melbourne where many of the artists camped and painted en plein air. Heidelberg, Victoria was, of course, named after Heidelberg in Germany. I prefer the name "Australian impressionism" for the movement as it is more descriptive, more inclusive (many associated works were painted elsewhere by artists with no direct ties to Heidelberg, Victoria) and less confusing for non-Australians. Very pleased to see this nomination, however. -- Mattinbgn (talk) 00:29, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

• Oh, thanks, that explains it. The colours are fine, very soft and poetic, by the way, especially in the foreground, Mattinbgn. Hafspajen (talk) 00:33, 30 July 2015 (UTC)

• Support – very nice scan of interesting painting; provides plenty of EV, especially from the informative article on the painting itself. SagaciousPhil - Chat 11:58, 30 July 2015 (UTC)
• Support - Fantastic scan. — Chris Woodrich (talk) 06:08, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
• Support — DreamSparrow ^Chat 17:57, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
• Support. It is indeed a very iconic Australian painting, and I'm glad to see we have a high quality scan of it. Ðiliff «» (Talk) 23:46, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
• Support Great painting. Alborzagros (talk) 10:02, 4 August 2015 (UTC)
• Support --Tremonist (talk) 14:08, 4 August 2015 (UTC)

Promoted File:Tom Roberts - Shearing the rams - Google Art Project.jpg --Armbrust ^{The Homunculus} 12:29, 8 August 2015 (UTC)