Australian Aboriginal Art - Lot 178

Lot n° 178
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Estimation :
600 - 800 EUR
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Result : 300EUR
Australian Aboriginal Art - Lot 178
Australian Aboriginal Art Hunting scene. Natural pigments on eucalyptus bark. 58 x 27.5 cm. Provenance: Groote Eylandt, Australia. Circa 1970. Anonymous author. The highly graphic composition of this bark, with its sober motifs standing out against a dark background, is characteristic of Groote Eylandt's art. The colors used, the nature of the pigments and a representation combining figuration and abstraction are also representative of the bark paintings of this island located east of Arnhem Land in the northern part of Australia. Most of Groote Eylandt's works are executed on rectangular sections of stringy eucalyptus bark. Groote Eylandt's bark paintings reached their peak in the 1960s and 1970s, then declined with the onset of manganese mining on the island. Analysis of the painting suggests that it is a scene evoking the departure of a hunter. The mound on which the central figure is standing could evoke a place from which man observes and watches for the right moment. The position of the stars provides an indication of that moment: the hour or the season. A digging stick, a spear-thrower and a slingshot are the tools evoked to understand the context. Aboriginal beliefs attach particular importance to the night sky, and aboriginal astrology names their constellations after numerous animals, objects or legends (the emu, the seven sisters, the canoe, etc.). Expert: Stéphane Jacob-Langevin
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