Chatelaine
Katrina Goldsworthy
- Sitter: Marisa Vecchio AM
- Medium: Acrylic on kangaroo hide stitched onto canvas
- Dimensions: 87 x 108 cm
- Representation: The artist represents themselves
About the artist
Katrina Goldsworthy was a beef producer, from central Queensland, who now lives in Brisbane. She is known as the Bull Artist. She usually paints intricate portraits of beef cattle, and she paints them on individually selected kangaroo hide. They take weeks to produce, and are highly sought after. Goldsworthy rediscovered a love of painting whilst recuperating from breast cancer. She says her hero pieces allow for a deep sense of pride, power and purpose in her subjects.
About the sitter
The title of this work, Chatelaine, from the French term châtelaine means a woman who owns or controls a castle or large house. This portrait references two women, who have both owned and cared for Hanworth House, one of Brisbane’s most prestigious and historic homes. The artist recreated and hand stitched a 1919 tea dress belonging to Mary Wienholt, the pastoralist and philanthropist from early last century, and dressed the current Chatelaine, Marisa Vecchio in that dress for the portrait. The portrait is painted in acrylic and stitched on animal hide, further adding to the symbolism of the piece. Vecchio is a well known Brisbane philanthropist, and businesswoman. She has held numerous board positions. Currently she manages a specialist medical practice and runs boutique accomodation at Hanworth House. In 2012 the house burnt down just 2 weeks from opening, after it had been painstakingly restored. Vecchio restored it again. This artwork represents a long collaboration, which has been beautifully documented by the artist on instagram.
