He was one of the first Australian painters to attempt to develop a distinctively Australian style of painting. In this he was clearly influenced by European art of his day, having travelled and studied in England and Europe. But always he modified techniques to suit the Australian scene. In particular, Roberts was impressed by the plein airists and by Whistler’s suggestive rather than precisely descriptive, painting style. And, even though he did not use all the techniques of the French impressionists, he did heighten colour to represent his impressions of light. But basically, Roberts was a realist, and his best paintings are realist representations of his subject.” pp. 161 illusts #0121 Large