Male and female black natives.

Primary Artist

John Carmichael (1811–1857)

Title

Male and female black natives.

Source

James Maclehose. The picture of Sydney; and strangers' guide in New South Wales, for 1838. Sydney: Maclehose, 1838

Page or Plate number

plate 35, facing page 164

Date made

1838 – 1838-39

Place made

Warrane / Sydney, New South Wales, Australia View on map Close map

Finding location.

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Category

Print

Print type

intaglio

Technique

etching and engraving, printed in black ink, from one copper plate

Matrix size

10.2 x 18.0 cm (image)

Support

paper

State

published state

Impression

undesignated impression as issued

Edition information

print run unknown

Subject description

An Aboriginal man and woman with two children are drinking alcohol fom bottles. He is wearing tattered European clothes and breast plate and has an aggressive countenance. The woman has a length of fabric wrapped around her. They are accompanied by two dogs.

Collection

National Gallery of Australia

IRN

210020

Accession number

2009.1108.35

Provenance

Collection of Brown Library
which sold it through H.A. Evans & Son, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1966
to Rodney Davidson AO OBE (1933-2016), Victoria, Australia, 1966
who sold it through Australian Book Auctions, 'The Davidson collection : Australian and Pacific voyages and travels from the library of Mr. Rodney D. Davidson, A.O., O.B.E.: second sale : Australia before gold, 1810-1850.', lot 300, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 27 February 2006
acquired by Horden House Rare Books, New South Wales, Australia, 2006
which sold it to the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia, 2009

Subject categories

Aboriginal Australians | Australia, Art period: Colonial, New South Wales

Country of context

Australia

Creators

Carmichael, John. | (1811–1857) Australian | Scottish | Male | artist

Maclehose, James. | (1832–) Australian | Scottish | Male | publisher

Last Updated

06 Jun 2026