Elder Wing of Australian Art: Plain English Tour
Work 9 of 15

Charles Conder was born in London.

In 1884 his father sent him to live in Australia.

Charles worked with his uncle to become a surveyor,

a person who works with the shape of the land.

He worked in country areas for 2 years, he loved the Australian landscape.

Charles studied art in Sydney, in 1886 he won an award for ‘Best Painting from Nature.’

His uncle then allowed Charles to become an artist.

Charles met and painted with Tom Roberts, a leading Australian Impressionist.

An impressionist is an artist who paints the mood or feeling of a scene.

Tom supported him to paint outside

and to see the colour, light and space outdoors.

In Melbourne at the age of 20, Charles painted ‘A Holiday at Mentone.’

It was a great painting.

He painted many pictures of land and nature, also known as landscapes.

This painting started a successful

but short career for Charles.

He died at the age of 40.

‘A Holiday at Mentone’ shows a bright beach at midday.

It is lighter in colour than other paintings before it.

It shows people relaxing.

The clothes and magazine of the seated woman in the painting

shows that women’s attitudes, views and ways of behaving,

are changing at this time.