Cirrus@Austlit

'The beat of clap sticks and possum-skin drums fills the air as rows of warriors dance and sing in time to the percussion. Two bright fires glow in the centre of this gathering; nearby the director of ceremonies takes centre stage, wrapped in his possum-skin cloak. This is the scene of celebration presented in a painting by Aboriginal Australian artist William Barak (c. 1824–1903). The artwork in State Library Victoria’s care has been executed in blue pigment, red ochre and black charcoal on a canvas of thick cardboard. Barak applied the paint so thickly that it stands out in three dimensions, like that of an Impressionist work. Another painting, which uses the same thick card as a canvas, also depicts a scene of grouped figures wearing cloaks. Instead of dancing, they stand tall, holding jagged spears and other weapons. A kangaroo and an emu are present; the figures wear lyre bird feathers in their hair: to this observer the painting shows hunting and social arrangements within the community. (Introduction)