Eviction

This picture painted by the social realist artist Blandford Fletcher (1858 – 1936).

He produced it in 1887 and it was the first artwork purchased by the Queensland National Art Gallery (in1896).

At a time of severe agricultural depression, it portrays what would have been an all-too-common sight with a widow and her daughter carrying their meagre bundle of belongings being evicted from their cottage on the Causeway. Looking on are neighbours and a top-hatted bailiff.

The almost photographic representation, the near life-size figures and the wide view of the village street convey a sense of reality. Despite their difficult circumstances, Blandford Fletcher has portrayed the central figures with a sense of dignity, rendering them sympathetic to the viewer. The buildings which form the backdrop to this picture have not changed.

It is believed that prime minister William Gladstone admired the painting which was described as ‘one of the most remarkable paintings of modern times.

Next Object

Click on Tudor House or the North Star to find out more about two of the buildings in the painting