A Break Away! 1891

Tom Roberts's 1891 oil painting "A Break Away!" captures the energy and excitement of a sheep drive in the Australian Outback. The painting depicts a group of sheep scattering as a stockman on horseback, wielding a whip, urges them forward. Roberts's meticulous brushstrokes create a sense of movement and dust as the animals flee. The iconic Australian landscape, with its eucalyptus trees and dry, red earth, adds to the work's powerful depiction of the Australian spirit and the challenges faced by those who lived and worked on the land.