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Crowning Glory Painting
Australia
Painting, Oil on Canvas
Size: 39.4 W x 47.2 H x 1.2 D in
Ships in a Crate
Artist Recognition
Artist featured in a collection
About The Artwork
There is corner of a foreign field that is forever England. Well, just. Half-obscured behind a row of overhanging trees from the relentless traffic banked back along Penang’s Burmah Rd, lies the mouldering pile that is the Queen Victoria Memorial Statue. In a version of colonial patriotism akin to Stockholm Syndrome, in 1930 this already long-dead monarch was enshrined here by “The Queen’s Chinese” - who despite having fled China as a consequence of her policies, somehow felt the need to prove themselves loyal subjects. Their objectification of her as the quintessential emblem of Empire was not unique. Eleven years later the occupying Japanese forces ordered her complete subjugation: The lions around the plinth had their Union Jack shields replaced, the remainder was concealed behind signboards advertising the occupation propaganda radio, and an Imperial Japanese flag was flown from her head. Maybe they needn’t have bothered. More efficiently than any of the Japanese efforts, contemporary Penang residents have swept away all vestiges of colonialism - simply by ignoring her. Dwarfed by a basketball court that abuts the plinth, she has been forgotten by all - save the mad dogs and Australians, out in the midday sun.
Details & Dimensions
Painting:Oil on Canvas
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:39.4 W x 47.2 H x 1.2 D in
Frame:Not Framed
Ready to Hang:Not applicable
Packaging:Ships in a Crate
Shipping & Returns
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
Handling:Ships in a wooden crate for additional protection of heavy or oversized artworks. Crated works are subject to an $80 care and handling fee. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines.
Ships From:Australia.
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Australia
Matthew was featured in BRW as one of Australia's top 50 artists. In the past few years he's won, or been a finalist for, more than 70 major national art awards. He's had 14 solo and 80 group shows. He's painted all his life but allowed himself to be distracted by other careers, working variously as a lecturer, art-director, photographer & writer. His first novel was short-listed for the Vogel Literary Award. He's lived in Australia, the UK, Portugal & Malaysia, and once camped for several months beneath a grand piano. He spent nights under stars in India, under-ground in Bolivia, under surveillance in Burma and under-nourished in London. His scariest moment was having machine-gun shoved in his face during Nepalese anti-monarchy riots, although crashing a para-glider into a forest was also something of a highlight.
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