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'Tom Roberts’s Shearing the rams is a response to the nationalistic sentiment that developed in Australia during the late nineteenth century. It reflects the emergence of a national identity defined through heroic rural activity and the economic importance of the wool industry. The iconic painting is based on a number of preliminary sketches Roberts completed on the spot at Brocklesby Station, Corowa, New South Wales, in the late spring of 1888. He returned during the following two spring periods (shearing season) to work on the painting. Once completed, Shearing the rams was exhibited in the artist’s studio in Collins Street, Melbourne.' (Source : National Gallery of Victoria)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Shearing the Rams Mural Unveiled in Region Where Tom Roberts Painted It 130 Years Ago
2020
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , October 2020;'It is not every day an artist is asked to create a mural from one of the most famous paintings in Australian history — in this case, Shearing the Rams by Tom Roberts.' (Introduction)
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"The Bare Belled Ewe" : The Origin of "click Go the Shears"
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Quadrant , September vol. 60 no. 9 2016; (p. 98-100) 'Abstract: The shearers' song "Click Go the Shears" and the 1890 Tom Roberts painting Shearing the Rams have much in common. Despite their present-day acceptance as cultural icons it was not always the case, particularly for the Roberts painting.' (Publication abstract)
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"The Bare Belled Ewe" : The Origin of "click Go the Shears"
2016
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Quadrant , September vol. 60 no. 9 2016; (p. 98-100) 'Abstract: The shearers' song "Click Go the Shears" and the 1890 Tom Roberts painting Shearing the Rams have much in common. Despite their present-day acceptance as cultural icons it was not always the case, particularly for the Roberts painting.' (Publication abstract) -
Shearing the Rams Mural Unveiled in Region Where Tom Roberts Painted It 130 Years Ago
2020
single work
column
— Appears in: ABC News [Online] , October 2020;'It is not every day an artist is asked to create a mural from one of the most famous paintings in Australian history — in this case, Shearing the Rams by Tom Roberts.' (Introduction)