Max Meldrum
Encyclopedia
Duncan Max Meldrum was a Scottish born Australian painter. He is known as the founder of Australian Tonalism
, a representational style of painting, as well as his portrait work, for which he won the Archibald Prize
in 1939 and 1940.
, Scotland
, son of Edward David Meldrum, chemist, and his wife Christine, née Macglashan. The family emigrated to Australia in 1889. Meldrum studied at the National Gallery School in Melbourne. In 1899, he won the Victorian Travelling Scholarship, under which he chose to complete his art education in Paris. Soon after, he became dissatified with the academic conventions of the Paris schools and left them to study on his own.
He returned to Melbourne with his family in 1912, where he lived with his parents in East Melbourne, then at St Kilda. In 1915 he took a studio at 527 Collins Street, for a time sharing it with Harley Griffiths, senior. He ran the Meldrum School of painting there between 1916 and 1926. Among his students were Clarice Beckett
, Colin Colahan
, Auguste Cornels, John Farmer
, Polly Hurry, Justus Jorgensen
, Percy and Arnold Shore, and he influenced considerably the work of his friend Alexander Colquhoun, whose son Archibald was also a Meldrum student at that time. In 1916-17 he was elected president of the Victorian Artists' Society.
. While living in France
, he married Jeanne Eugenie Nitsch, a singer with the Opéra-Comique
. While in Paris, he befriended American painter Joseph Allworthy
. Meldrum stayed with Allworthy during his American tour lecturing on his theory of tonal analysis. Meldrum and his wife returned to Australia in 1931.
Meldrum criticized Nora Heysen
's 1938 Archibald win, saying that women could not be expected to paint as well as men. Meldrum died in Kew, Victoria
.
Australian Tonalism
Australian Tonalism was an art movement that emerged in Melbourne during the interwar period. Its main exponent was Max Meldrum, whose theory of building "tone on tone" and objective optical analysis led to the development of a unique style of painting characterized by a "misty" or atmospheric...
, a representational style of painting, as well as his portrait work, for which he won the Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
in 1939 and 1940.
Early Life and Training
Meldrum was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, son of Edward David Meldrum, chemist, and his wife Christine, née Macglashan. The family emigrated to Australia in 1889. Meldrum studied at the National Gallery School in Melbourne. In 1899, he won the Victorian Travelling Scholarship, under which he chose to complete his art education in Paris. Soon after, he became dissatified with the academic conventions of the Paris schools and left them to study on his own.
He returned to Melbourne with his family in 1912, where he lived with his parents in East Melbourne, then at St Kilda. In 1915 he took a studio at 527 Collins Street, for a time sharing it with Harley Griffiths, senior. He ran the Meldrum School of painting there between 1916 and 1926. Among his students were Clarice Beckett
Clarice Beckett
Clarice Majoribanks Beckett was an Australian painter born in Casterton, Victoria. Her works are featured in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of South Australia....
, Colin Colahan
Colin Colahan
Colin Cuthbert Orr Colahan was an Australian painter and sculptor. He created the 'Sirena' fountain for the Italian town of Bordighera. His sculpture of the head of Victor Smorgon was bought by the National Gallery of Victoria...
, Auguste Cornels, John Farmer
John Farmer
John Farmer may refer to:* John Farmer , Renaissance composer of madrigals* John Farmer , American historian and genealogist* John Farmer , music teacher at Harrow School...
, Polly Hurry, Justus Jorgensen
Justus Jorgensen
Justus Jorgensen was an Australian artist and architectHe was born in East Brighton, Melbourne. He was a student of Max Meldrum.He is best known for establishing the notorious artist colony Montsalvat, located in Eltham....
, Percy and Arnold Shore, and he influenced considerably the work of his friend Alexander Colquhoun, whose son Archibald was also a Meldrum student at that time. In 1916-17 he was elected president of the Victorian Artists' Society.
Career
Meldrum influenced the young Albert Ernest NewburyAlbert Ernest Newbury
Albert Ernest Newbury was an Australian artist.Newbury was born in Melbourne, Victoria and spent most of his childhood in Geelong. In 1909, at the age of 18, Newbury entered the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, Melbourne, where he studied under Frederick McCubbin and Bernard Hall...
. While living in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he married Jeanne Eugenie Nitsch, a singer with the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
. While in Paris, he befriended American painter Joseph Allworthy
Joseph Allworthy
Joseph Allworthy was a prominent mid-twentieth century American representational, tonal-realist painter based in Chicago, known for his still life compositions and portraits...
. Meldrum stayed with Allworthy during his American tour lecturing on his theory of tonal analysis. Meldrum and his wife returned to Australia in 1931.
Meldrum criticized Nora Heysen
Nora Heysen
Nora Heysen AM was an Australian artist, the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize for portraiture and the first Australian woman appointed as an official war artist.-Biography:...
's 1938 Archibald win, saying that women could not be expected to paint as well as men. Meldrum died in Kew, Victoria
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
.