Fatima Habiba

A key proponent of Australian Impressionism, Arthur Streeton remains one of Australia’s most recognisable and beloved painters. He, along with friends Tom Roberts, Charles Conder and Frederick McCubbin, spent time in the bush at Heidelberg, on the outskirts of Melbourne, painting en plein air, capturing the colour and light of the Australian landscape.

At the turn of the nineteenth century the foremost aim of aspiring Australian artists was to travel to the great art centres of the world – Paris and London – to experience the cosmopolitan lifestyle and to access their vast art museums. Following successful sales of his works in 1896, Streeton was able to commence his own pilgrimage to Europe, on his way to London spending two months in Cairo, at the time a popular destination for artists seeking to capture its bright light and distinctive culture. Fatima Habiba, a mesmerising and enigmatic portrait, was inspired by his sojourn in Cairo. Fatima, with her triangular form and unflinching gaze, boldly fills the canvas and quietly demands our attention.

Tansy Curtin, Curator, International Art pre–1980