NGV Water Trail

7/30/2019 NGV Water Trail

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WATERTRAIL

NGV

Water TrailLEVEL 2

NGV INTERNATIONAL

Discover the importance

of water throughouthistory and across

cultures - as told through

a whole world of art


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The National Gallery of Victoria is delighted tojoin with BlueScope Steel and Melbourne Waterto bring you this innovative NGV Water Trail.

As you wander through the galleries at NGVInternational, look out for the water drop symbolnext to key works of art. When you see thatsymbol, refer to this brochure to learn moreabout the work of art and how it relates tothe story of water its value and importance

throughout history and across cultures.

All life depends on water. In Australia, we live onthe driest inhabited continent, so it is vital thatwe all work together to protect this preciousresource and ensure a sustainable water future.

The NGV is committed to achieving andpromoting water conservation. With the supportof BlueScope Steel and Melbourne Water, thisWater Trail has been developed to promote thevalue of water to NGV visitors.

The NGV has also developed a WaterManagement Plan for its iconic St Kilda RoadGallery. When it rains, water collects on the roof

Introduction

of NGV International and runs into the buildingsgutters. The rainwater is fed into undergroundwater tanks and when required, pumpedthrough a treatment plant into the moat system.The entire system, including five moats andfour fountains, is designed to use a continuallycirculating supply of harvested rainwater.

The Waterwall at the entrance to NGVInternational marks the beginning of the Water

Trail. The Waterwall runs separately to themoat system, with its own water holding tankand treatment plant. Rainwater is pumped fromunderground tanks into the Waterwall holdingtank and then through a treatment plant to theWaterwall head. The water cascades down theglass, before flowing back into the holding tankto repeat the cycle. The constant flow creates anatural filter between the bustle of the city andthe calm seclusion and ambience of the Gallery.

Discover the importance of water through art its meaning and its beauty and find outhow we can all play a role in protecting andconserving our precious water resources.

NGV Water Trail Ambassador

Water is a simple, unique and ubiquitousliquid that has provided the basis for thedevelopment of human civilisations for centuries.It is aesthetically attractive; an essentialingredient for life; integral to the development ofagriculture and trade; and has been celebratedin cultures around the world as part of religions,rituals and art. Our cities have evolved complexsystems for the collection, distribution andtreatment of water since Minoan times.

Despite the complexity of modern society,it is still the case today that in a large globalcity like Melbourne, it is necessary for us toundergo significant re-education around theconcept that water is critically limited on theAustralian continent.

In the face of a changing climate coupled withan increasing population, continued access to aplentiful water supply requires new managementregimes and technological advancement.

We are now redesigning water collectionopportunities, water storage and treatmentsystems, pipes and aqueducts as well aslimiting water use to ensure equality of accessto this precious resource in the same way thatcivilisations have done for thousands of years.

Unfortunately water security for human useand for agriculture is not universal. In particularin poor nations in Africa and Asia this will becritical if the people in these countries areto be able to adapt to climate change. TheIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Changepredicts that food production in Africa will halveas a result of the pressure on water, while the

United Nations Development Programs HumanDevelopment Report states that an additional1.8 billion people will face water stress by 2080,with large areas of South Asia and northernChina facing a grave ecological crisis as a resultof glacial retreat and changed rainfall patterns.

Paralleling the problems of provision of waterfor human use, we now understand the needto protect our rivers and lakes from overuse sothat they can continue to provide the ecosystemservices that are essential, not only to thespecies that inhabit them, but to the support ofhuman lifestyles too.

The National Gallery of Victorias Water Trailenables us to celebrate water while providinga focus for our enjoyment of the Gallery usingwater as a linking theme. The Trail providesinsights over a time continuum that begins at540BC and reveals that water has been anintegral part of human development since then.

Rob GellNGV Water Trail Ambassador

Phographer: Fred Kroh


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BlueScope Steel is the leading steel companyin Australia and New Zealand. The companysproducts play a big part in peoples everydaylives, being vital components in suburban houses,landmark buildings and structures and popularmakes of cars. BlueScope Water providesrainwater tanks and rainwater harvestingsystems, and agricultural irrigation pipelines.

We have a commitment to respect ourcommunities. In many areas where we operate,water shortages and water quality are significantissues. We continue to do whatever we can toreduce fresh water consumption and increasethe use of recycled water at our operationsaround the world.

Melbourne Water is a water resourcemanager owned by the VictorianGovernment. Melbourne Water manageswater supply catchments, removes andtreats most of Melbournes sewage, andmanages rivers and creeks and majordrainage systems across the Port Phillipand Westernport region. Melbourne Watersvision is working together to ensure asustainable water future.

Program Partners

Program Partners

NGV KIDS

Clang, crash, swish!These soldiers aremaking a lot of noise.

How can you tell thesemen are soldiers?

Psykter amphora(Chalkidian black-figureware) 540 BCThis amphora, with its drainhole in the base and holesunder the handles, wasprobably a wine cooler andwould have had an internalcontainer around whichicy water was packed. It israre that the lid has beenpreserved. The panels oneach side show scenes ofintense fighting from theTrojan War. Nearly all ofthe warriors are named byinscriptions written in theChalkidian alphabet.

Did you know?A modern tap may beless elegant than a Greekamphora, but think howdifficult life would be if youhad to fetch and carry allthe water you use.

Clean water at the turn of atap is a luxury granted to few

people in the worlds longhistory. Even today, morethan one billion people stillhave to carry their householdwater for long distances.

By contrast, most ofMelbournes drinking watercomes from mountain ashforests high up in t he YarraRanges, which have beenclosed to the public for upto 100 years. Melbourne isone of the few cities in theworld with protected watercatchments.

GREECE, Chalcis

The Inscriptions Painter(attributed to)Psykter amphora(Chalkidian black-figure ware)

Archaic Period, 540 BCfired clay60.2 x 37.1 x 34.9 cmFelton Bequest, 1956


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NGV KIDSThere are 3 things

that begin with the letterW in this painting.

What are they?

Did you know?This watermill reminds usthat water power has beenused for centuries. Today,close to one fifth of the worldselectricity comes from hydro-electric power.

Hydro-electricity plays anincreasingly important role inproviding renewable energy.

However, this source ofpower is reliant on therebeing sufficient water flow todrive the turbines of hydro-electric power stations. Waterconservation is essential to ourcontinuing use of this sourceof energy.

The watermillc. 1660Jacob van Ruisdael was apioneer of watermill subjectsin Dutch art. In 1650-1Ruisdael toured the easternprovinces of Gelderslandand Overijsel. This image ofan overshot mill with water

entering an open sluice istypical of the mills found inthat area near the borderbetween the Netherlandsand Germany. Ruisdael laterreturned to this region with hispupil Meindert Hobbema, whoalso became a master of mill-painting. Four versions of thiswaterwheel exist, testamentto the fascination in the 17thcentury with the harnessingof energy.

Jacob van RUISDAEL

Dutch c.16281682The watermillc.1660 (detail)oil on canvas63.3 x 68.7 cmFelton Bequest, 1922

CHANTILLY PORCELAIN FACTORY,Chantilly (manufacturer)French c. 17301792Covered jugc. 1750porcelain (soft-paste), silver18.8 x 13.2 x 11.1 cmThe Wynne Morris Collection.Purchased NGV Foundation, 2008

NGV KIDSHow much water do you

use when you bath orshower? Could you

wash thoroughly usinga jug or small bucket of

water only? Try it!

Covered jug c. 1750The beauty of this elegantCovered juglies in its form andan appreciation of the warm,milky glaze highlighted by theapplied floral ornament. Thefaceted form of the ewer isbased upon a contemporarysilver model but is relativelyrare in porcelain. It would mostlikely have been accompaniedby a shallow basin and usedfor daily ablutions, formingpart of the accoutrements of anoble ladys boudoir.

Did you know?

The use of jugs, bowls andother containers to carry waterfrom a central source fordrinking, cooking and washingwas part of everyday life in the18th century.

In Victoria, we have experiencedyears of drought and waterrestrictions have become a partof life. Target 155 encouragesall Melburnians to use less than155 litres of water per personper day. Most households canachieve this target by adoptingthree key water savingmeasures, namely, fittingwater-saving showerheads,reducing shower time to fourminutes and using greywateror rainwater to water gardens.


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NGV KIDSA gondola is a watertaxi, a gondolier or

oarsman standsat the back. How

many gondolas canyou see?

Did you know?Canalettos painting of Venicepoints to one simple fact:civilisation flourishes wherethere is a robust water supply.

It is interesting to reflectthat many Australian citieshave two problems: how toobtain sufficient water forpeoples needs and how tomanage stormwater.

Stormwater is the subject ofincreasing study, to see if wecan solve two problems atonce by better managing thisvaluable resource.

If you have installed arainwater tank in your home orworkplace, you are helping tosolve both of these problems.

Bacino di S. Marco: Fromthe Piazzetta c. 1750Built on a network of islandslinked only by waterways andbridges, Venice appears togrow from the sea off theNorth Italian coast. With theocean as its lifeblood, Venice

became a maritime empire inthe 16th century, and one ofthe key trading links betweenEurope and Asia. Its ports andcanal waterways bustled withactivity, and the famous GrandCanal, painted in the 1750s,has changed little since then.

However, Venice is underconstant threat from risingseas and flooding. Managingthis problem is the mostimportant challenge facing thiscity today.

CANALETTO

Italian 16971768,worked in England 174655Bacino di S. Marco: From the Piazetta c. 1750oil on canvas131.4 x 163.2 cmFelton Bequest, 1986

DE GRIEKSCHE A POTTERY

(JAN THEUNIS DEXTRA), Delft

(manufacturer) 17581764Shaving bowl17581764earthenware7.1 x 26.7 x 23.7 cmPresented by Frederick Gonnerman DalgetyEsq., 1862

NGV KIDSA beautiful bowl to

collect water. Do youever use a bucket,

bowl or dish tocollect water?

Did you know?The use of the shaving bowldemonstrates a simple methodour ancestors developed toconserve water.

There are many ways to savewater in the bathroom, laundry,kitchen and other parts ofyour home. Take shortershowers and keep bathwaterto a minimum; dont washdishes under running water;make sure your dishwasher orwashing machine is full beforeturning it on; divert grey waterto your garden; and fix leakingtaps and toilets. It is incredibleto think that by simply turningoff the tap when you brushyour teeth, you can save almost11,000 litres of water a year!

In this era, water had to becarried everywhere from acentral source and a shavingbowl such as this would havebeen very convenient forconserving water usage.

Shaving bowl1758-1764This shaving bowl wouldhave been partially filled withwater and placed under thechin of the client while thebarber proceeded to shavehis face. The bowl provided aconvenient means of water,

without wastage and withoutsplashing between anotherbucket or basin.


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NGV KIDSPowerful, deep,

rough. What otherwords describe the

ocean and the actionin this painting?

Did you know?Australian climate authoritiespredict that climate changecould cause storms to becomemore frequent.

Storms have a dramatic impacton our water supplies and onland, and can cause severeflash flooding anywhere and

any time. Melbournes drainagesystem copes well with mostrainfall but it is important forus to keep the system clear oflitter and debris. You shouldalso take care to never entera stormwater drain they canfill suddenly with water even insunny conditions.

Mount St Michael,Cornwall1830Clarkson Stanfield was in aunique position to create thisdramatic portrayal of the powerof nature seen in the turbulentseas off the Cornish coast, atthe south west tip of Britain.Before becoming a painter hespent eight years serving as amerchant seaman.

In the 19th century the onlyway to transport peopleand goods between islandsand continents was by sea.Sailors, such as Stanfield,knew the dangers of takingthe ocean for granted asshipwrecks were an all toocommon occurrence.

Clarkson STANFIELD

English 17931867Mount St Michael, Cornwall1830 (detail)oil on canvas153.2 x 244.0 cmGift of J. R. Hartley, 1931

Gustave COURBETFrench 18191877,worked in Switzerland 187377The wave(La Vague) c. 1872 (detail)oil on canvas54.2 x 73.1 cmFelton Bequest, 1924

NGV KIDSRain filled, dark cloudsand a rough stormy

ocean. Make upanother title/name

for this painting.

The wave c. 1872The wave is one of numerouspaintings that Courbet basedon a motif developed at theNormandy coastal resort oftretat in 1869 a foamingwave poised in mid-crestunder stormy, lowering skiesfilled with threatening clouds.All of his wave paintings

reflect the artists fascinationwith the liquid aggressionof the ocean. In 1882 thecritic Jules Castagnary sawin Courbets poised waves avision of approaching politicalfreedom, in which Democracywas rising like a cresting wave.

Did you know?The oceans play an integralrole in the Water Cycle.

The Water Cycle workswhen the suns heat causeswater from rivers, lakes andoceans to evaporate intothe air as vapour, whichbuilds up into fog, mist orclouds. Air temperature and

pressure cause the clouds tobreak apart and rain, hail orsnow falls. Small creeks andstreams form and then flowinto rivers, lakes and oceans,allowing the Water Cycle tobegin again.

The water we drink todayhas always been here onplanet Earth. The same watermay once have been drunk bya dinosaur!


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Write: Make up astory about beingrescued at sea orshipwrecked.

Construct: Cut thetop out of a waxedcardboard milk

carton to make aboat. Add other boatfeatures with thingsfrom home.

Look: Melbournehas many fountains.Keep a watch forthem, see how theyare decorated.

Collect: When youare near the beachor river see if you canfind some stones,shells or wood thathave been shapedand smoothedby water. Start acollection of objectschanged by water.

Suggestedactivitiesfor home

Experiment: Halffill a bowl with water,place plastic overthe top, and place inthe sun. The watershould evaporate andcondense (form) on

the plastic.Imagine: In ancientEgypt, Sobek wasthe god of water.He had the body ofa man and the headof a crocodile. Drawan imaginary watergod. Include signs ofpower and water.

Check: Are youusing water wiselyat home?

Design: Make adiagram for a waterrecycling system foryour home.

Find morewords for water

LearnEvery language hasa word for water

Atl, Pre-Columbian(Mexican)

Aqua, ItalianShui , Chinese

Paani, Indian (Hindi)Het, DutchEau, FrenchNero, Greek

Wara, Papua New

Guinea (Pidgin English)

An NGV Water Traileducation resource for

teachers is available fromngv.vic.gov.au/watertrail/

education

Draw:Lay a mirror flat

and place a smallobject on it. Drawthe object and its

reflection.

Did you know?The quality of the oceanenvironment is stronglyaffected by what we put inour drains. When it rains,pollutants are flushed from theland into drains, then into localrivers and creeks and intothe bays. Melbournes YarraRiver is the largest of the 17waterways that discharge intoPort Phillip Bay.

Nearly 400 drains dischargedirectly to this bay, witha further 600 or moredischarging into urban riversand creeks.

You can help remove some ofthe pollutants in stormwaterby following a few simple tips:dispose of paints and solventsproperly, make sure that yourrubbish is placed securely inbins and recycling containersso it cant blow away or fall

out, and always pick up afteryour dog.

Lucy KEMP-WELCH

English 18691958Horses bathing in the sea 1900 (detail)oil on canvas152.9 x 306.5 cmPurchased, 1900 Estate of Lucy Kemp-Welch

Horses bathing inthe sea 1900This spectacular painting ofhorses in waves was not justthe product of the artistsimagination. Lucy Kemp-Welchset up her easel and hugecanvas on the beach so shecould experience the powerof the sea while painting hermonumental work.

Here, she has painted agroup of army horsesexercising in the invigoratingand rejuvenating surf.

NGV KIDSImagine cold

water lapping, horsesneighing, men

shouting. How wouldyou feel riding horses

in the sea?


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NGV Water Trail

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