Catherine Webb

Working Thesis Title: A revaluation of the work of art in colonial Australia

Supervisors: Dr Keren Hammerschlag, Dr Sarah Scott, Emeritus Professor Helen Ennis

Catherine's thesis investigates the work of art in colonial Australia. She is exploring whether European colonist artists working in Australia in the early and mid nineteenth century were really depicting their surroundings as picturesque, park-like English scenes, as has been suggested by twentieth-century art historians. Addressing this question requires the application of an interdisciplinary methodology that considers aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, human geography, ecology, and landscape management. As such, it will contribute to the relatively unexplored field of environmental art history. Her proposed date of completion is 2029.