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A wedding party and a luxury country retreat has been slammed for posing in front of a controversial painting depicting a massacre of Indigenous people.
Redleaf Wollombi, in the NSW Hunter Valley, shared the photo to their Instagram which shows the smiling group in front of the an artwork titled Les Vues du Brésil’ or The Views of Brazil – a piece encapsulating the Portuguese colonisation of Brazil.
The venue told Daily Mail Australia on Monday it had now deleted the image and is ‘deeply sorry’ about the awkward post.
Redleaf Wollombi, a country retreat that hosts weddings in the NSW Hunter Valley, has come under fire for posting this photo to their social media accounts
The image was met with uproar from many within Australia’s Indigenous community.
‘Nothing like getting married and posing in front of Aboriginal people being slaughtered by colonisers,’ Indigenous-owned small business Dreamtime Aroha commented.
‘I’m not sure at what point anyone would hang up in their venue or consent to a wedding picture being 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 venue well I am just a Blak woman asking what the hell?’ Dreamtime Aroha added in the post.
One social media user wrote: ‘How can anyone with a heart think this painting is ok to hang?’
‘How did f… did the wedding planner, the photographer and wedding guests not notice the disgraceful piece of art,’ another said. ‘It’s beyond shocking shame on all involved.’
Dreamtime Aroha, an Indigenous-owned small business, shared the image to Facebook and lambasted the country retreat for featuring the artwork in the wedding photo
Redleaf Wollombi was slammed by several people on social media who questioned why the painting was being used as a backdrop for wedding pictures
A third commented: ‘Why on earth would they think an image portraying murder, would be a good one for a wedding venue?’
‘It’s even worse that it’s about a very real history, but who looked at the painting originally and thought ‘brides and grooms will LOVE images of murder in their wedding photos, this is perfect’ like … what?!’
Former Bachelor contestant and podcast host, Abbie Chatfield, targeted the venue by sharing Dreamtime Aroha’s original post to her Instagram Stories.
Cabaret artist and podcaster Carla Arla Anita Mattiazzo, also slammed Redleaf Wollombi.
‘This is what I hate. People choosing to stay ignorant,’ she wrote.
Former Bachelor contestant and podcast host, Abbie Chatfield, shared the original post criticising the country retreat and tagged them
Redleaf Wollombi in a statement apologised to people who were offended.
‘We are deeply sorry to learn that, over the weekend, we have caused offence to several people who noticed the paintings in photos on our social media,’ the venue said.
‘We are very remorseful that we have caused anyone to feel pain on seeing 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 colonisation of Brazil
The retreat’s owner was given the painting by a family friend who died several years ago, according to the venue’s statement.
Redleaf Wollombi said they had since removed images featuring the painting from their social media accounts.
The painting has also been taken off display at the retreat.
The venue added: ‘We respectively ask that any comments toward clients (brides, grooms) and other suppliers (including photographers) stop immediately.’
‘Any inference that they have somehow deliberately been racist is simply not true.’
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