A waterhole on the Hawkesbury River 1885

Julian Ashton painted this oil on canvas titled 'A waterhole on the Hawkesbury River'. The arrangement of forms in this painting is striking: the waterhole dominates the foreground, its dark surface acting as a mirror that reflects the muted sky and distant hills. This visual play creates a sense of depth. The horizontal composition emphasizes the expansive landscape, yet there's a deliberate disruption. Notice how the trees and foliage are not merely decorative, they are structural. They create a screen that both reveals and conceals. The brushstrokes are loose, particularly in the foreground, which adds a tactile quality. The subdued palette of greens, browns, and grays contributes to the somber mood. Ashton uses the waterhole to destabilize our reading of the scene. The reflected image creates a space that is both familiar and uncanny. This painting invites us to consider the complexities of representation.