Redleaf Wollombi wedding party pose in front Indigenous massacre painting: NSW Hunter Valley
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A wedding party and luxury country retreat have come under fire for posing in front of a controversial painting depicting a massacre of indigenous people.
Redleaf Wollombi, in NSW’s Hunter Valley, shared the photo on his Instagram showing the smiling group in front of an artwork titled Les Vues du Brésil’ or The Views of Brazil, a piece summarizing the Portuguese colonization of Brazil.
The venue told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that it had now removed the image and is “deeply sorry” for the awkward post.
Redleaf Wollombi, a country retreat that hosts weddings in the NSW Hunter Valley, has come under fire for posting this photo on their social media accounts.
The image was met with uproar from many within Australia’s indigenous community.
“There’s nothing like getting married and posing in front of Aboriginal people being killed by settlers,” said Dreamtime Aroha, a small indigenous company.
“I’m not sure at what point someone would hang in her place or consent to her having a wedding photo taken in front of a painting of a brutal aboriginal massacre.
“This was sent to me because the person didn’t know how to approach the place, well I’m just a black woman asking what the hell.” Dreamtime Aroha added in the post.
One social media user wrote: “How can anyone with a heart think it’s okay to hang this painting?”
‘How the f… did the wedding planner, photographer and wedding guests not notice the embarrassing artwork?’ another said. “It is beyond shocking embarrassment for everyone involved.”
Dreamtime Aroha, a small indigenous-owned business, shared the image on Facebook and criticized the country retreat for showing the artwork in the wedding photo.
Redleaf Wollombi was criticized by several people on social media who questioned why the painting was used as a backdrop for wedding photos.
A third commented, “Why the hell would they think a picture depicting murder would be good for a wedding venue?”
“It’s even worse that this is a very true story, but whoever looked at the painting originally and thought ‘brides and grooms will LOVE the images of murder in their wedding photos, this is perfect’ like… what?!”
Former Bachelor contestant and podcast host Abbie Chatfield took aim at the spot by sharing Dreamtime Aroha’s original post on her Instagram Stories.
Cabaret artist and podcaster Carla Arla Anita Mattiazzo also criticized Redleaf Wollombi.
‘This is what I hate. People who choose to remain ignorant,” she wrote.
Former Bachelor contestant and podcast host Abbie Chatfield shared the original post criticizing the country retreat and tagged them.
Redleaf Wollombi in a statement apologized to people who were offended.
“We are deeply sorry to learn that, over the weekend, we offended several people who noticed the paintings in photos on our social media,” the venue said.
‘We are very sorry that we made someone feel pain by looking at the paintings; this was never our intention.
The painting was originally designed in 1829 by French artist Jean Julien Deltil.
Redleaf Wollombi explained that Jean Julien Deltil had been hired by Zuber, a French wallpaper manufacturer, at the time to create it.
The manufacturer still produces the wallpaper to this day.
The artwork is part of Les Vues du Brésil’ or ‘The Views of Brazil’ from 1829 and depicts the Portuguese colonization of Brazil.
The retreat’s owner received the painting from a family friend who died several years ago, according to the retreat’s statement.
Redleaf Wollombi said they had since removed images showing the painting from their social media accounts.
The painting has also been removed from display at the retreat.
The venue added: “We respectively ask that any comments towards customers (brides, grooms) and other vendors (including photographers) be stopped immediately.”
“Any inference that they have somehow been deliberately racist is simply not true.”