Introduction | Timeline | Materials | Themes | Teacher's Notes | Bibliography | Exhibitions | Glossary

Themes & Influences

Karl Duldig’s art was inspired by his immediate surroundings. His acute observation of the movement, expression, interaction and activity of people provided him with endless inspiration. The formal and rigorous training he received in Vienna not only equipped him with sound practical skills, but also an understanding of the European tradition. He had an extensive knowledge of the history of Western art and had travelled widely throughout Europe where had seen many of the definitive examples of art from ancient Greece and Egypt through to the Renaissance. He was also acutely aware of modern art movements of the twentieth century and was an admirer of Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and other European artists of the era. Moreover, he was influenced by the work of ethnic, naïve and primitive artists and he held Indigenous Australian art in high regard.

Historical, mythological and religious themes such as the Madonna and Child, St George and the Dragon and the Trojan Horse recurred in different guises in his sculptures. Grand themes of love and suffering contrast with repeated representations of, simple human interactions such as children playing, family life, sport, and the affection between two lovers. Throughout his life and journeys, Karl Duldig was influenced by his social, historical and cultural surroundings, drawing inspiration from that which was unique to each new environment and imbuing it with his own dedication to the human spirit.

Lovers	Tango, bronze, 1976
Mother and child	The Family, c.1960
Australian imagery	When the Big Men Fly, 1958
Mythology	St George and the Dragon, c.1955
	Trojan Horse, c.1978
Portrait busts	Slawa, 1940

FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

INVESTIGATION
Identify themes running through the exhibition. Explore these themes in relation to the timeline.
How do they reflect social and personal change?
How do they reflect the Karl Duldig ‘journey’?

‘When the Big Men Fly’, 1958 reflects Duldig’s fascination with human movement, his passion for sport and an interest in Australian Rules football. What other works reflect his interest in Australian social and cultural life?

REFLECTION
Patrick McCaughey has written that ‘the story of the émigrés like Karl Duldig has two sides to it: there is first, the transmission of European visions into the Australian consciousness and, second, the European vision being absorbed and changed by the new context and the new culture.’

Identify examples of the ‘new context’ in Duldig’s journey from Vienna to Australia. Is the influence of new cultures evident in elements of the works displayed?
How does this exhibition reflect the ‘two sides’ that McCaughey refers to?
Compare and contrast works from different phases of Karl Duldig’s creative life to illustrate this point.

EXTENSION
Referring to the timeline, research the social history of your local area. Compile your own timeline and add details of local events and social change. Consider how your immediate area was affected by world events. What changes were occurring and what was the local reaction?

Research the stories of St George and the Dragon and the Trojan Horse. Look at the images and sculptures representing these stories in the exhibition. Note the periods when Karl Duldig created these works. Consider why these were recurring themes in his work.

FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

Look around the exhibition and choose the artwork you like best.
Give reasons why the chosen artwork appeals to you.
What do you think the piece represents?
Think of how you could represent your family in a creative way.