Bailed Up

"Bailed Up" is a renowned 1895 painting by Australian artist Tom Roberts. It vividly depicts a stagecoach ambushed by bushrangers in a remote, forested area. This masterpiece of Australian landscape art is proudly displayed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Roberts created "Bailed Up" while staying at the Newstead sheep station in New South Wales. Inspired by the area's history of bushrangers, he chose a location between Newstead and Paradise stations for the scene. With assistance from the Anderson family and local station hands, he crafted a highly realistic setting. The characters in the painting were modeled after people from Inverell and workers at Newstead. Roberts began with sketches and oil studies before completing the final work.

When "Bailed Up" was first exhibited in Sydney and Melbourne, it received mixed reviews. Initially, Roberts had difficulty finding a buyer. It wasn't until 1928, after he reworked the painting to simplify its composition in a more abstract, modernist style, that it finally sold.

The painting endured some adversity in 1956 when it was damaged during transportation to an exhibition. Fortunately, it was successfully restored.

"Bailed Up" has left a lasting impression on Australian culture. In 2004, artist Ben Quilty created a homage to Roberts' original work titled "Gold Soil Wealth for Toil." This modern reimagining was also acquired by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, further solidifying the legacy of Roberts' iconic painting.