Death of a Workman In A Streeton Painting

Death of a Workman In A Streeton Painting is an excerpt from the film Fire’s On, Lapstone Tunnel, part of The Australian Eye Series : Australian Impressionists 1888-1896 (66 mins), produced in 1984.

Fire’s On, Lapstone Tunnel: The death of a workman during blasting of the railway tunnel at Lapstone in the NSW Blue Mountains in 1891 was Arthur Streeton’s inspiration for this painting. Streeton’s vivid description of the accident in a letter to his artist friend Tom Roberts is included in the commentary.

The Australian Eye Series: Based on the principle that the more one knows about a work of art the better one can appreciate it, this series makes a detailed examination of many of Australia’s most outstanding paintings. Besides scrutinising one key work in close detail, each film reveals, wherever possible, the artist’s drawings and studies for that work, and shows other related works. Many little known paintings from private collections have been included. Living artists have been recorded, talking about their techniques and the ideas behind their paintings. The letters and journals of earlier artists are drawn on, as well as the views of critics of the day. Every film was made in consultation with a leading expert on the artist, and scripts were discussed with the Education Department of NSW prior to production. The series consultant was Daniel Thomas, Curator of Australian Art at the Australian National Gallery, Canberra.

The Australian Eye Series was produced by The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales in collaboration with Film Australia.

This Digital Resource can be used to achieve the following outcomes:
H.2 A student describes and explains different relationships among texts.
H.3 A student demonstrates understanding of cultural reference in texts.
H.4 A student uses language relevant to the study of English.
H.6 A student interprets texts using key language patterns and structural features.
H.9 A student engages with the details of text in order to develop a considered and informed personal response.

Arthur Streeton was one of the 'Heidelberg School’ of Australian artists of the 1880s who popularised the painting of romantic yet realistic images of the Australian bush, and the open air, in an 'impressionist’ style that acknowledged and emphasised the Australian light and colour.

Streeton commented on this painting in a letter to a friend:

“This morning, hot, windy, and warm, as I travel down the line, and the mirage sizzling and jiggering over the railway track. I arrive at my cutting, 'the fatal cutting’, and inwardly rejoice at the prosperous warmth all glowing before me as I descend and re-ascend the opposite side up to my shady, shelving sandstone rock, perched up high. I wipe the wholesome moisture from my pale brow, and having partaken at my billy (like a somewhat lengthy and affectionate kiss), I look up and down at my subject: is it worth painting? Why, of course, damn it all! That is providing I’m capable of translating my impression to the canvas.

All is serene as I work and peg away retiring under the rock a bit when they light any shots, then, 'Up with that b____ wagon, Bill.’ 11.30: The fish train struggles over the hill and round to Glenbrook. 12 o’clock: The next shift comes toddling down the hot track with their billies, and I commence to discuss my lunch and tea (of which I consume over a quart every lunch), and now I hear 'Fire, fire’s on’, from the gang close by; rest my billy on the rock, take out my pipe and listen for the shots, with my eye watching the bright red-gum yonder. BOOM! and then rumbling of rock, the navvy under the rock with me, and watching says, 'Man killed’. He runs down the sheltered side, and cries, 'Man killed!’. Another takes it up, and now it has run through the camp. More shots and crashing rock, and we peep over; he lies all hidden bar his legs – and now men, nippers and 2 women hurry down, a woman with a bottle and rags. All the shots are gone but one and all wait and dare not go near. Then someone says the last hole was not lit, and they raise the rock and lift him on to the stretcher, fold his arms over his chest, and slowly six of them carry him past me. Oh, how full of dread is the grey, mysterious expression of death — 'tis like a whirlpool for the eyes. Blown to death twenty yards from me and, as a navvy said, it was an “'orrible sight”. By Jove! a passing corpse does chain your eyes, and indeed all your senses, just as strongly as love.”

1. View the video clip with no sound and describe the story of Arthur Streeton’s painting in 5–7 points.
2. 1. View the video clip with sound and compare your story with the voice-over and list any differences.
   2. Describe the mood or feel the filmmaker creates using music, voice-over and sound effects (SFX).
   3. Whose point of view does the voice-over present and what are their feelings about the tragedy?
   4. Discuss and decide what dominates the painting — nature or the human tragedy? Explain the reasons for your decision.
3. Write a 500-word newspaper report of this event. Make sure you include:
   1. an attention-grabbing headline
   2. a first paragraph that states who, where and when
   3. the reasons ‘why’ in the body paragraphs
   4. discussion of nature and the human tragedy
4. Find another painting by Arthur Streeton and write a 500-word text telling the story of the painting from the painter’s point of view. It may be in the form of a monologue, voice-letter, or letter.

Literacy Activity: Focus = Viewing / Analysing

1. Identify one of Streeton’s painted images you saw on the clip and explain why you thought this was the most effective in representing the ideas on the commentary. (3 marks)
2. Find the meaning of the word ‘ganger’. (1 mark)
3. What is the meaning of the idiomatic expression ‘holy smoke’? (1 mark)

National Gallery of Victoria