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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Elegance in exile

Portrait drawings from colonial Australia

Previous exhibition
from Friday 1 June until Sunday 26 August 2012

Elegance in exile is an exhibition surveying the work of Richard Read senior, Thomas Bock, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Charles Rodius: four artists who, though exiled to Australia as convicts, created many of the most significant and elegant portraits of the colonial period.

Self portrait
Self portrait, c. 1849 Charles Rodius

An exhibition of sixty beautiful and rarely-seen drawings, watercolours and miniatures, Elegance in exile will examine the interplay of art, biography and history in their work, tracing the links between their own lives and those of their sitters to present a fine and vivid map of life, culture and aspirations in colonial Australia.

The artists Richard Reed senior, Thomas Bock, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Charles Rodius are recognised today for the portraits they created in the first half of the nineteenth century. Exiled to Australia as convicts, they produced some of the most elegant and significant Australian portraits of the period. The drawings, watercolours, sketches, prints and miniatures examined in Elegance in Exile encompass the stories of Indigenous leaders, governors, explorers, administrators and gentry, as well as colonists of less illustrious or ex-convict stock.

A fine and vivid record of Australian colonial life, society and identity, Elegance in Exile examines the conditions under which these artists practised, exploring patronage of the arts in colonial Sydney and Hobart and profiles the pre-eminence of drawing and printmaking in the early years of the visual arts in Australia.

10 portraits

1 Martha Sarah Butler, c. 1845 Thomas Griffiths Wainewright. 2 Edward Paine Butler, c. 1845 Thomas Griffiths Wainewright.
Elegance in exile tour dates

Originally shown at the National Portrait Gallery
Friday 1st June until Sunday 26th August 2012

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Saturday 15th September until Sunday 4th November 2012

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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency