Title

Mr. Dutterau, the eminent artist [is painting a series of portraits of Aborigines].

Author

Author not identified

Source

Hobart Town Courier (Hobart)

Details

29 November 1833, p.2, col.5.

Publication date

29 November 1833

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

Mr. Dutterau, the eminent artist is, we are happy to learn, now engaged on a series of portraits on a large scale of the most distinguished and remarkable aborigines recently conciliated and brought up by Mr. Robinson. This may be said to be the first effort that has been made either here or in England to fix and hand down to posterity a true resemblance of these interesting people in their original state and costume. For the few random diminutive attempts in water colour and rough engraving that have yet been tried can scarcely be considered as affording any true picture of the original natives of Van Diemen’s land now almost extinct. The artist has some thing more to embody in his canvas in the performance of this interesting work than the mere form and structure of the animal being – he must also convey to it the expression of the mind – he must bring out as it were on the external surface the inward workings of the thinking faculty and of the passions – a peculiar talent of which the breathing character, if we may use the expression of Mr. Dutterau’s portraits, evince that he is very eminently possessed.

[Hobart Town Courier (Hobart), 29 November 1833, p.2, col.5.]