"Ploughing the Fields"
Oil on Canvas
61x74cm
Signed Lower Right
Prov: Leonard Joel 1982
Private Collection Adelaide
$8,000-12,000
Rural labour and the enduring relationship between man, animal and land became a defining subject in Australian painting during the early twentieth century, reflecting both national identity and lived experience. Within this context, Harold Septimus Power emerged as one of the most accomplished interpreters of the working horse, bringing both authority and vitality to scenes of agricultural life.
Born in Dunedin, New Zealand,in 1877, Power relocated to Australia where he would establish his reputation as a painter of exceptional skill and consistency. Largely self-trained, his early development was shaped not through formal academic instruction, but through direct observation and a sustained engagement with his subjects. This practical approach is evident in the assuredness of his draughtsmanship and his deep understanding of equine anatomy. His standing within the Australian art world was further cemented through his long association with the Victorian Artists Society, where he served as both student and teacher, influencing a generation of younger artists.
Power’s oeuvre is defined by his focus on draught horses at work ploughing, hauling and labouring in the fields. These were not romanticised or incidental inclusions, but central subjects through which he explored movement, weight and coordination. His compositions are often built around the synchronised action of horse teams, with the human figure integrated as part of a larger, unified system of effort and rhythm.
Such works sit at the very centre of Power’s practice and remain among his most recognisable and sought-after subjects, encapsulating both his technical command and his deep engagement with the Australian rural landscape.
