Tasmanians have the opportunity to discover some fascinating stories from our colonial past, with a collection of significant portraits by convict artists on show at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery from tomorrow.

 

TMAG Director, Bill Bleathman, urged people to visit the National Portrait Gallery touring exhibition Elegance in Exile: Portrait drawing from colonial Australia.

 

"The exhibition features more than 40 beautiful and rarely-seen drawings, watercolours and miniatures, and illuminates the stories of Indigenous leaders, governors, explorers, gentry and administrators, as well as those colonists of less illustrious or ex-convict stock," Mr Bleathman said.

 

"It is a wonderful chance for Tasmanians to see a national exhibition in theState, and I am so pleased that Hobart has been included on the touring schedule.

 

"It is also pleasing to see that Elegance in Exile includes 10 works from TMAG's State Collection, highlighting some of the important colonial art wehold in Tasmania."

 

Mr Bleathman said Elegance in Exile featured portraits by four convict artists: Richard Read senior, Charles Rodius, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Thomas Bock.

 

"Wainewright and Bock were both sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen's Land, where they established themselves as portraitists in Hobart".

 

"Both men captured notable figures of the colony, whom Tasmanians are sure to recognise amongst the portraits featured in Elegance in Exile.

 

"These include Wainewright's portrait of lieutenant-governor Sir John Franklinand Bock's depiction of infamous convict Alexander Pearce."

 

Elegance in Exile is presented by the National Portrait Gallery and is on show at TMAG from 14 September 2012 to 4 November 2012.

 

For more information about the exhibition, and the portraits featured, visithttp://www.portrait.gov.au/site/exhibition_subsite_eleganceinexile.php.