Robert Malherbe Govetts Leap

I live in Blackheath, NSW, traditional land of the Dharug and Gundungurra people, not far from the Govetts Leap lookout with its views of the rugged Grose Valley. I’ve painted this view many times in the 20 years that I’ve lived here. I never tire of its rhythms, shifting colours and vast space. This work, like all my landscapes, was painted in the open air, in situ. In 1836, English naturalist Charles Darwin travelled from Bathurst for two days on horseback just to look at this view, which he described as ‘most remarkable’. Today the drive from Sydney to Blackheath will take you less than two hours.

Robert Malherbe, 2021