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Collection

An image of Studio portrait, Chelsea by Norah Simpson

Norah Simpson

(Australia 05 Jul 1895–19 Feb 1974)

Title
Studio portrait, Chelsea
Other titles:
Self portrait 1911
Place of origin
Chelsea → London → England
Year
(1915)
Media category
Painting
Materials used
oil on canvas
Dimensions

50.8 x 40.7cm stretcher; 62.7 x 52.7 x 5.0cm frame

Signature & date
Not signed. (Not dated?).
Credit
Purchased 1960
Accession number
OA22.1960
Copyright
© Reproduced with permission
Location
Not on display
Further information

Norah Simpson is credited with playing an important role in the introduction of post-impressionism to Australia, although she is an unfamiliar figure in Australia – she moved permanently to Europe in 1915 and subsequently ceased painting.

On a prior visit to London in 1912, she had met members of the Camden Town Group – a group of post-impressionist artists – and saw first-hand in Paris works by Cézanne, Matisse, van Gogh and Picasso. On her return to Australia in 1913, she brought reproductions and books dealing with post-impressionist and cubist work to her art classes with Italian artist–teacher Antonio Dattilo-Rubbo, where they had a powerful effect on Simpson’s fellow students Roland Wakelin, Grace Cossington Smith and Roy de Maistre – particularly influencing their use of colour.

Bibliography (14)

Janine Burke, Australian women artists 1840-1940, Collingwood, 1980, 42, 43, 140 (colour illus.), 178. plate no. 67

Deborah Edwards, Australian art: in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Moderns', pg. 103-104, Domain, 2000, 103, 112 (colour illus.), 302.

Anna Gray, The Cambridge companion to Australian Art, 'Australian artists within a wider world 1900-1930', pg. 84-96, Port Melbourne, 2011, 89.

Anne Gray, The Edwardians: secrets and desires 2004, 'The Edwardians', pg. 10-71, Canberra, 2004, 29, 227 (colour illus.). cat.no. 127

Lesley Harding, Art and Australia (Vol. 36, No. 4) 1999, 'Tempe Manning: the lost modernist', pg. 532-537, North Ryde, 1999, 532 (colour illus.).

Bruce James, Grace Cossington Smith, 'The knitter', pg. 26-36, Sydney, 1990, 29, 30 (colour illus.). plate no. 3

Ursula Prunster (Curator), Australian painters; Seeing Cézanne 1998, Sydney, 1998, 31. cat.no. 34

Bernard William Smith and Terry Smith, Australian painting 1788-1990, 'Leviticus 1913-32', pg. 167-204, South Melbourne, 1991, 171, 172 (illus.), 560. illus. no. 98

Virginia Spate, Art Monthly Australia Aug 2005, 'Amazing Grace: Thoughts inspired by the Grace Cossington Smith exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra', pg. 22-30, Acton, Aug 2005, 23.

Daniel Thomas, Grace Cossington Smith 2005, 'Modernity and inwards', pg. 102-107, Canberra, 2005, 103.

Daniel Thomas, Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Jan 1970, 'Grace Cossington Smith', pg. 510-521, Sydney, Jan 1970, 512 (illus.).

Roland Wakelin, Art Gallery of New South Wales Quarterly Jan 1962, 'Post Impressionism in Sydney: Some personal recollections', pg. 91-95, Domain, Jan 1962, 91, 92 (illus.).

Donald Williams, In our own image: the story of Australian art 1995, Sydney, 1995, 99 (colour illus.).

Donald Williams, In our own image: the story of Australian art 2002, Sydney, 2002, 90, 91 (colour illus.).

Exhibition history (3)

Purchases and Acquisitions for 1960, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22 Mar 1961–23 Apr 1961

Australian Painters Seeing Cézanne:

The Edwardians: Secrets and Desire: