Portrait of Old Joe 1898

George Washington Lambert painted this portrait of Old Joe using oil on canvas. The hat, an almost universal symbol of identity and status, dominates the image. Think of the ancient Greek petasos, the wide-brimmed hat worn by Hermes, god of travel and commerce, and a symbol of freedom. Here, it suggests a life lived outdoors, under the sun, in the vastness of the Australian outback. Yet, this hat also casts a shadow, obscuring half of Joe’s face, creating a stark duality. Light and shadow, revelation and concealment. The psychological weight of this contrast is profound. The hat’s shadow speaks to the hidden aspects of a person, the untold stories, and the mysteries that time etches onto the soul. This interplay of light and dark captures the emotional and psychological complexities inherent in the human experience, a cyclical progression of revelation and concealment.