The Golden Fleece

"The Golden Fleece" , painted in 1894 by Australian artist Tom Roberts, is a notable example of genre painting that captures rural Australian life. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work depicts sheep shearers working inside a timber shearing shed at Newstead North, near Inverell. Roberts’ loose brushwork and attention to natural light reveal influences of Impressionism, emphasizing momentary activity and atmosphere. The same shed features in his other painting, Shearing Shed, Newstead (1894), reinforcing the scene's significance in Australian art history.