In Girl in forest, Mount Macedon Frederick McCubbin revisits a
central theme in his oeuvre: the activities of children in the
Australian bush. He had previously painted scenes of children
lost in the bush – narratives of innocence and vulnerability
within the landscape. McCubbin also explored the magical worlds
invented by children through storytelling and imagination. In
works such as What the little girl saw in the bush 1904 (private
collection, reproduced p. 28) he sought to capture ideas of
creative freedom and expression that children unselfconsciously
bring to their surrounds. In Girl in forest, Mount Macedon a
young girl wanders through the bush carrying a basket, possibly
collecting wildflowers or berries. She is small beside the large
trees and thick growth, her white dress setting her apart from
her environment. McCubbin has paid close attention to the study
of dappled light through trees and foliage. Areas of the canvas
appear abstracted and flecks of colour are layered over each
other using a pale