The painting belongs to the National Gallery of Australia's collection.

In 1862 von Guérard joined an expedition to the Australian Alps. Led by the Bavarian scientist Georg von Neumayer, the expedition was commissioned by the Government of Victoria, part of an international project to measure the Earth’s magnetic fields. As well as a geophysicist and an artist, the party comprised Neumayer’s assistant, two guides and his dog Hector – all of whom are immortalised in the painting. Von Guérard made a number of sketches during the course of the expedition. In Melbourne the following year he produced North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko.It is a major painting, regarded as one of his finest artistically, and most accurate topographically.

In North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko areas of the foreground and the mound of large boulders at right are particularly perplexing. Indeed as Bonyhady tells, the rocks were introduced by von Guérard to emphasise human insignificance. They serve to provide a link between foreground, the distant mountains and the sky, that records the passage from heavy rain to bright sunshine.Most importantly, in aesthetic terms, the rocks echo those on the peaks at the centre of the composition, gloriously patterned by the snow that has melted to reveal the grassy slopes underneath.

www.ngv.vic.gov.au/collection/australian/painting/g/vonguerard_e/education_kit.html

www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Artists_vonGuerard.htm