El Dorado was a mythical place where all dreams were met. This large work by the Australian artist Sparks seamlessly blends landmark buildings from present day Melbourne against a majestic backdrop of the Zagros Mountains. The images are drawn from different times and places along the banks of a mysterious misty river lined by Australian native trees and an exotic flora, as well as sculptural elements of Asian monuments and figures of worship. The Whitworth has a Designated Collection of Historic and Modern Wallpapers. This work both relates to French examples in the GalleryÂ’s collection and takes the Whitworth a step forward in its aim to emphasise the relationship between the historic collections and contemporary art.

Provenance

The artist