Medallion of William Charles Wentworth, 1854
Thomas Woolner (1825-1892)
Bronze
Diameter: 23cm

Thomas Woolner was an 1850s emigrant to Australia as part of the gold rushes. He was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, the key artistic movement in Britain at the time. Ford Madox Brown was inspired by Woolner leaving England for Australia to create the well known emigration painting, "The Last of England".

In Australia Woolner eventually abandoned the search for gold to create portrait medallions of prominent colonial identities. Woolner began his portraits with the politician William Charles Wentworth who wrote to the artist in 1854: "I beg you to allow me to testify the satisfaction I feel at your medallion of me". Wentworth (1790-1872) was an explorer, wealthy landowner and politician. He co-founded The Australian newspaper in 1843, became a member of the Legislative Council and contributed to the achievement of self government in N.S.W.