[Sketch for mural - riverscape] by Norman St. Clair Carter, 1914

Transcript

[Sketch for mural - riverscape]  by Norman St Clair Carter, circa 1914, was made with watercolour and pencil on paper, measuring 11.3 cm high by 94.5 cm wide. Although this work is unframed, there is a thick white border around the work. This work is displayed in the centre of the room in a red vitrine, or display case, under a glass cube which is visible from all sides.

This work is a watercolour painting of one continuous horizontal landscape scene divided into four sections. Between each section, and bordering the work, are strips of brown colour which mimic the appearance of wooden panelling.

This work is at eye level with an Australian landscape. Towards the mid-section of the work, from left to right, is a light blue river gently bending and curving behind gumtrees. In the background are softly sloping hills. The grass is light green with bits of blue depicting shadows while the tree trunks are white, speckled with grey. The leaves of the trees are a deeper green, making them noticeable throughout the landscape.

Behind the hills, in the distance, are mountains which are green in colour. Further in the distance are outlines of more mountains which appear in a dark blue colour.

Across the top of the work is a pale blue sky with white puffy clouds. 

Overall, the colour palette of this watercolour art piece consists mainly of light, pastel-like greens and blues. 

The artist has signed his name, Norman Carter, in white capital letters in the bottom right corner of each panel.

As the title suggests, this work is a sketch for a mural that was designed by Norman Carter to wrap around the USU’s Reading Room, creating a continuous sweeping horizon. The mural was intended to commemorate the first presidency of Assistant Professor E R Holme.

This was unveiled in July of 1914 and dedicated to Ernest Rudolph Holme to commemorate his retirement from the presidency of the Union.

Although it was intended that eight panels be created, photographs show that only four were made before World War One, before subsequently being removed and lost. Only Carter’s sketches can testify to his Edwardian vision of a local pastoral landscape.