Artwork Title: Barak – Last Chief of the Yarra Yarra Tribe of Aborigines

Barak – Last Chief of the Yarra Yarra Tribe of Aborigines, 1885

Florence Fuller

In 1885, through the good auspice of her uncle, Florence, then 18 years old, received a commission from Ann Fraser Bon, the Scottish-born philanthropist and a formidable woman who fought strenuously to protect the limited rights of Aboriginal people. She asked Florence to complete a formal oil on canvas portrait of William Barak, the leader of the Wurundjeri people, who was also an artist, and who became an advocate and leader in the wider Aboriginal community. The work was acquired by the State Library of Victoria. It is interesting to note how two art critics viewed the finished portrait. One complimented the way in which Fuller avoided romanticizing Aboriginal people while another critic said that in his opinion the portrait was an idealization of the man rather than a truthful portrait. (https://mydailyartdisplay.wordpress.com/2017/08/30/florence-ada-fuller/)
Uploaded on Nov 15, 2017 by Suzan Hamer

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