The Spotted Minstrel
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‘The Spotted Minstrel’ by Emma Coombes at the Elm & the Raven A quoll posed to suggest mischief, with props that echo courtly life, the composition evokes the tale of the minstrel. Entertainer, trickster, and storyteller. Still life with a Tasmanian twist.
‘The Spotted Minstrel’ was winner of the Still Life (Professional) People’s Vote Award in the 2026 international Refocus Colour Photography Awards and received an Honourable Mention from the Judging panel.
The Spotted Minstrel
TASMANIAN STILL LIFE SERIES
“The Spotted Minstrel” by Emma Coombes is a Tasmanian still life shaped with a courtly narrative.
The Spotted Minstrel draws on the rich visual language of classical still life, reimagined through a distinctly Tasmanian lens. At the centre of the composition, the eastern quoll becomes both performer and protagonist, poised amongst carefully chosen objects that hint at theatre, ceremony, and storytelling.
Posed to suggest mischief and cunning, the quoll takes on the character of the minstrel: part entertainer, part observer, part trickster. Surrounding elements echo fragments of courtly life and old-world narrative painting, the artistry of the custom mandolin, traditional tools and native flora ground the work firmly in place. The result is a composition suspended somewhere between folklore and reality.
As with much of Emma Coombes’ work, light plays a central role, revealing detail slowly, drawing attention to texture, gesture, and atmosphere. The image balances elegance with humour, inviting the viewer to linger and construct their own narrative around the scene.
Both playful and painterly, The Spotted Minstrel explores the enduring human tendency to project character and story onto the natural world. It is a still life that nods to tradition while subverting it, blending symbolic storytelling with contemporary photographic practice and a uniquely Tasmanian sensibility.
ABOUT THE TASMANIAN STILL LIFE COLLECTION
Part of a larger body of work, this image continues a concept that began with photographing Australian wildlife in a traditional still-life setting.
When access to authentic taxidermy proved impossible, creative surrogates stood in.
Photographed in an historic Tasmanian location whose stone walls and natural window light offered a ready made baroque backdrop, the image is digitally crafted much like a painting. Sculpted through light and shadow, colour grading and textured layers applied to bring the wild things to life in a painterly premise.
THE SPOTTED MINSTREL | AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES
- Print paper size - 594mm x 420mm (A2) EDITION of 8 (+2AP)
- Print paper size – 483mm x 329mm (A3+) EDITION of 12
Note: This image may be available in mini print and card stock. Other sizes may be available. Please enquire with the artist directly. EXTRA INFORMATION
- Signed and numbered by the artist with Certificate of Authenticity
- Images come with a white border for signing, issue number and framing purposes. Designed to maintain the aspect ratio of the image on the paper size stated.
MUSEUM QUALITY
- Archival Lucia Pigment ink
- Museum quality Ilford Cotton rag 310gsm