Saplings 1889

Editor: We’re looking at "Saplings," an 1889 oil painting by Tom Roberts. It's a flurry of strokes that give us slender trees against a kind of hazy background. There’s something raw and intimate about it; it feels like a stolen moment. What stands out to you? Curator: Oh, the audacity of the ordinary, isn't it fantastic? I love how Roberts manages to capture that liminal space of early growth. Notice the verticality, how the eye is drawn upward. It reminds me of music, these trees composing a kind of symphony. It’s post-impressionism, but there's almost a sense of the spiritual, don't you think? I wonder if he saw these saplings as metaphors for our own human potential, reaching for the sun. Or am I just being fanciful? Editor: No, I see it too! The way they’re reaching feels almost…hopeful. And the colors are muted, but there’s such texture. You can almost feel the bark. Do you think this connects to the "plein-air" tradition? Curator: Absolutely! There’s an immediacy to it. Roberts was part of the Heidelberg School, an Aussie impressionist movement, and this really screams of capturing the light and atmosphere of the bush. That impasto application creates this incredible depth, right? Editor: I hadn’t thought of the Australian context so explicitly, but now it makes perfect sense! It’s not just trees; it’s the *Australian* bush. Curator: Exactly! So, we started with stolen glances and end up with something monumental. Goes to show what happens when you let intuition take the lead! Editor: It definitely gives you a different appreciation, thinking about the light and the location. Thanks for that!