A.H. Fullwood is the most important impressionist artist you’ve never heard of.
You are invited to a talk by Gary Werskey that will give you an overview of the engaging art of A.H. Fullwood, with special reference to his Tasmanian connections.
Born and trained in Birmingham, Fullwood arrived in Sydney in 1883 and soon made a name for himself as one of Australia’s leading illustrators and painters. He became close friends with Tom Roberts and Arthur Streeton before they all decamped to London to seek their fame and fortune. Following his service as an official Australian war artist, Fullwood returned to Sydney where he was hailed as a pioneer of Australian art.
Fullwood first encountered Tasmania in the mid-1880s as a staff artist for the Picturesque Atlas of Australasia, contributing sketches of both Hobart and Launceston. But it was in the following decade that he would make annual trips to Tasmania to paint and conduct art classes. His most accomplished student was the redoubtable Louisa Swan, a talented painter as well as a driving force in the affairs of the Art Society of Tasmania. Fullwood himself became closely involved in the society’s affairs, as well as assisting in the display of art at the Tasmanian International Exhibition of 1895.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
After taking his doctorate at Harvard University, Gary Werskey taught at Edinburgh University and Imperial College in London before taking up executive positions at the University of New South Wales. He is currently an Hon. Associate in the University of Sydney’s Department of History.
Gary’s Picturing a Nation: The Art & Life of A.H. Fullwood (NewSouth Books, 2021) has been hailed by Don Watson as an ‘essential and rousing portrait [which] lifts Fullwood to his rightful place in the pantheon of Australian art’. The book will be on sale following the talk.
This is a FREE EVENT and you are welcome to bring along non-member friends.
Be assured that TMAG is working hard to provide a clean, safe environment for your visit, and seating will be socially distanced. The normal check in requirements will apply when you arrive at TMAG, and you will need to wear a mask (unless the rules change before 10 February).
