The Heildelberg School in forming Australianness

Abstract

In 1788, English people settled down in Australia, cleared and cultivated the land, making a big turning point to this old continent. Australianness was still vague in these initial years of the white settlement. Heildelberg School, the first school in Australian art, which emerged in 1887, laid the foundation for Australia's visual arts history as well as forming the Autralianness with three mains characters: “strong, masculine labour”, “national myth” and “harsh land of unique nature diversity”. In this paper, the writer would like to introduce 7 masterpieces by three prominent Australian artists of the Heidelberg school: Tom Roberts, Frederic Mc.Cubbin, and Arthur Streeton.