Country without rain

There is a painting in the NGV Collection by John Longstaff titled Gippsland, Sunday Night, February 20th, 1898. Painted more than 120 years ago, it captures a scene and a depth of emotion that still resonates after another Australian summer of bushfire and drought. The painting also captures our enduringly complex, frequently shifting relationship with our personal and collective landscapes. These are the places we work, live, create and nurture in, travel through, and sometimes, imagine from afar. When these landscapes show signs of change or exhibit temperamental or extreme conditions we may worry, but we are also enthralled.