Prospect reservoir
1895
Arthur Streeton, a champion of the Australian Impressionist 'Heidelberg School,' captures the vast, sun-drenched landscape of New South Wales in this sweeping panorama. Painted in 1895, it depicts the newly constructed Prospect Reservoir, a vital engineering project meant to save drought-stricken Sydney. A bright blue canal cuts diagonally across the golden-green hills, leading the eye toward the shimmering water and a small brick tower in the distance. Streeton was obsessed with the unique, bleaching light of the Australian bush, and here he contrasts the rugged, reddish earth of the hill on the right with the cool blues of the sky and water, creating a fascinating mix of rugged nature and industrial progress.
Location: Art Gallery of New South Wales