Slumbering sea, Mentone (1887) is the most famous painting by Tom Roberts, held by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Self portrait (1924) and Portrait of Louis Abrahams (1886) are the next two works the world knows best. From the 40 works of Tom Roberts in our catalogue, here are the 40 that collectors and museum visitors look at most, with the year, the museum and the story of each.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated oktoober 2026. Every masterpiece on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, at the size you choose.
“Slumbering Sea, Mentone,” painted in 1887 by Tom Roberts, is more than just a depiction of a coastal scene; it's a carefully constructed meditation on light, color, and the burgeoning sense of national identity within Australia. This work, housed at the National Gallery of Victoria, offers a captivating glimpse into the heart of the Heidelberg School’s artistic philosophy – a movement that sought to capture the unique spirit of the…
In this intimate oil on canvas, the artist Tom Roberts presents a "Self portrait" that offers a quiet moment of introspection. Created about 1924, the work captures the artist in his later years, presenting the subject as an elderly man. It is a bust-length portrait, focusing the viewer's attention on the character and presence of the sitter rather than his surroundings.
Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts – A Window Into Heidelberg Impressionism Elizabeth Sarah (Lillie) Roberts (née Williamson), born in Dorchester, England, on March 8th, 1860, was a woman whose artistic spirit mirrored the burgeoning landscape movement sweeping across Australia. Alongside her husband, Tom Roberts—a fellow artist and lifelong friend—she embarked on a remarkable journey of creative exploration, establishing herself as both a painter and a masterful frame maker. This portrait,…
To gaze upon Tom Roberts' "Andante" is to step into a moment suspended in time—a quiet chamber where the only sound seems to be the gentle, melancholic spill of music. This evocative scene captures a man absorbed in the act of playing the piano, his posture suggesting both deep concentration and profound contentment. The composition itself draws the viewer inward, inviting them to share in this private performance. It is…
In the delicate interplay of shadow and soft illumination, Gray day in spring, Venice emerges as a breathtaking window into a bygone era. Painted by the Australian master Tom Roberts in 1884, this expansive work transports the viewer to the winding canals of Italy during that fleeting, magical hour when dusk begins to settle over the Adriatic. The scene is not merely a depiction of architecture, but an atmospheric study…
In the quiet, rhythmic labor of Turning the soil (Sketch for The charcoal burners), we find a profound meditation on the relationship between humanity and the land. Created in 1886 by the visionary Australian Impressionist Tom Roberts, this preparatory sketch serves as a soulful window into a moment of shared toil. The scene unfolds with three figures embedded within a rugged landscape, their bodies engaged in the heavy, essential task…
James T Donovan (1861–1922), journalist, Catholic historian and amateur singer, was born into an Irish Catholic family in Sydney. His father had a shop that was the first…
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James Reading Fairfax (1834-1919), son of Sydney Morning Herald founder John Fairfax (1804-1877), was the second Fairfax boy to join his father
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In this 1890 oil on canvas, Tom Roberts captures the presence of Edward Trenchard. The man sits within a stately, traditional interior, surrounded by the quiet dignity of…
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In the gentle embrace of 1888, Tom Roberts captured a moment of profound serenity in An autumn morning, Milson. This exquisite landscape serves as more than just a…
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In the vast canon of Australian Impressionism, few works capture the ephemeral magic of a moment as poignantly as Tom Roberts’ Harbourscape. This remarkably small oil panel, a…
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Tom Roberts' "Holiday Sketch at Coogee," painted in 1888, isn’t merely a depiction of a seaside scene; it’s a vibrant distillation of the Australian light and a pivotal…
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The work titled Cloud study is a small, intimate piece by the artist Tom Roberts. Measuring 12.1 x 20.7cm, it exists as a quiet fragment of observation. The…
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Tom Roberts’s painting of the opening of the first Australian Federal Parliament at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne in 1901 contains 269 individual portraits. Roberts was paid nearly…
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In the golden light of the late nineteenth century, Tom Roberts captured more than just a moment in time; he immortalized the very soul of a burgeoning nation.…
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In the quiet, evocative depths of Tom Roberts’ Coming South (1886), we are invited to step aboard a vessel suspended between two worlds. This masterful oil on canvas…
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Tom Roberts’ evocative canvas, Bailed up, transports the viewer deep into the heart of the Australian wilderness. This painting is not merely a depiction of travel; it is…
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In this large oil on canvas, we find ourselves transported to the monumental architecture of the Temple of Dendera in Upper Egypt. The scene is populated by a…
Commission a hand-painted copy →The four subjects that return most often among these masterpieces, with the finest example of each.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Tom Roberts | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Art Gallery of New South Wales |
Sydney | 15 | Self portrait, Adagio, Fog, Thames Embankment |
 National Portrait Gallery |
Canberra | 7 | Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), Portree Tom Robertsi naist, Sir William Charles Windeyer |
 National Gallery of Victoria |
Melbourne | 5 | Slumbering sea, Mentone, Edward Trenchard, Cloud study |
 National Gallery of Australia |
Canberra | 4 | Gray day in spring, Venice, Turning the soil (Sketch for The charcoal burners), Harbourscape |
 Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa |
Wellington | 2 | Hutt Valley, In Quarantine, Wellington |
 Art Gallery of South Australia |
Adelaide | 1 | Andante |
 Royal Collection |
London | 1 | The Big Picture |
 Bristol Museum - Art Gallery |
Bristol | 1 | The Temple of Dendera, Upper Egypt |
“Slumbering Sea, Mentone,” painted in 1887 by Tom Roberts, is more than just a depiction of a coastal scene; it's a carefully constructed meditation on light, color, and…
Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts – A Window Into Heidelberg Impressionism Elizabeth Sarah (Lillie) Roberts (née Williamson), born in Dorchester, England, on March 8th, 1860, was a woman…
In this intimate oil on canvas, the artist Tom Roberts presents a "Self portrait" that offers a quiet moment of introspection. Created about 1924, the work captures the…
Slumbering sea, Mentone (1887), National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Next come Self portrait (1924) and Portrait of Louis Abrahams (1886).
31 years old: Slumbering sea, Mentone dates from 1887 and Tom Roberts was born in 1856.
Slumbering sea, Mentone, Self portrait, Portrait of Louis Abrahams, Adagio, Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong), Portree Tom Robertsi naist, Andante, Gray day in spring, Venice, Turning the soil (Sketch for The charcoal burners) and Fog, Thames Embankment. The ranking above gives the year and the museum of each.
Our catalogue lists 40 works by Tom Roberts, dated from 1883 to 1927.
Most of them are in Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney), National Portrait Gallery (Canberra) and National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne). The table above lists the museums one by one.
In 1890s: 12 of the 40 works on this page date from then, among them Adagio.
The earliest on this page is Rejected (1883), the latest Bailed up (1927).
Landscape (6), Australia (4) and Boats (3), among the 40 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas: 5 of the 40 works on this page.
Impressionism and Australian impressionism, as the paintings on this page show.
Self portrait, Adagio and Fog, Thames Embankment are among the 15 works on this page held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in the size you choose, from the painting's own page.
