Arthur Merric Boyd
Encyclopedia
Arthur Merric Boyd was an Australia
n painter, and founder of the Boyd artistic dynasty
.
Boyd was born in Opoho
, Dunedin
, New Zealand
, son of Captain John Theodore Thomas Boyd, formerly of County Mayo
, Ireland
, and his wife Lucy Charlotte, daughter of Dr Robert Martin of Heidelberg, Victoria
. The Boyds moved to Australia
in the mid 1870s, and on 14 January 1886 Boyd married Emma Minnie à Beckett, also an artist, daughter of the Hon. W. A. C. à Beckett
of Melbourne
.. In 1890 they moved to England
and lived for a time at Westbury, Wiltshire
, and in 1891 husband and wife each had a picture in the Royal Academy
exhibition.
Boyd then travelled and painted a good deal on the continent of Europe
, and returned to Australia about the end of 1893, where he lived mostly in Sandringham
and other suburbs of Melbourne for the rest of his life. He occasionally sent good work to the exhibitions of the Victorian Artists' Society, but never mixed much in the artistic life of his time.
Mrs. Boyd died at Melbourne on 13 September 1936 and her husband on 30 July 1940. Each is represented by a picture in the National Gallery of Victoria
at Melbourne.
They left three sons, Theodore Penleigh Boyd
(1890–1923), Martin à Beckett Boyd
(1893–1972), a popular writer of fiction under the name "Martin Mills", and Merric Boyd
(1888–1959), a potter, and a daughter Helen à Beckett Boyd, a painter.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n painter, and founder of the Boyd artistic dynasty
Boyd Family
The Boyd family is an Australian artistic dynasty. Members of the family over several generations have established themselves as painters, artists, illustrators, sculptors, potters, ceramists, writers, architects, graphic designers, and musicians....
.
Boyd was born in Opoho
Opoho
Opoho is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It sits on the western flank of Signal Hill, New Zealand, to the northeast of the city centre, overlooking North East Valley and the Dunedin Botanic Gardens....
, Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, son of Captain John Theodore Thomas Boyd, formerly of County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and his wife Lucy Charlotte, daughter of Dr Robert Martin of Heidelberg, Victoria
Heidelberg, Victoria
Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....
. The Boyds moved to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the mid 1870s, and on 14 January 1886 Boyd married Emma Minnie à Beckett, also an artist, daughter of the Hon. W. A. C. à Beckett
William Arthur Callendar à Beckett
William Arthur Callendar à Beckett eldest son of the late Sir William à Beckett, was in the Legislative Council of Victoria from 1868 to 1876, and held office without portfolio in the Administration of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy from June 1871 to 10 June 1872. He was sworn in as a member of the...
of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.. In 1890 they moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and lived for a time at Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, and in 1891 husband and wife each had a picture in the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
exhibition.
Boyd then travelled and painted a good deal on the continent of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and returned to Australia about the end of 1893, where he lived mostly in Sandringham
Sandringham, Victoria
Sandringham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 16 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Bayside. At the 2006 Census, Sandringham had a population of 8693.-History:...
and other suburbs of Melbourne for the rest of his life. He occasionally sent good work to the exhibitions of the Victorian Artists' Society, but never mixed much in the artistic life of his time.
Mrs. Boyd died at Melbourne on 13 September 1936 and her husband on 30 July 1940. Each is represented by a picture in the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
at Melbourne.
They left three sons, Theodore Penleigh Boyd
Penleigh Boyd
Theodore Penleigh Boyd was an Australian artist.Penleigh Boyd was a member of the Boyd artistic dynasty: his parents Arthur Merric Boyd and Emma Minnie Boyd were well-known artists of the day, and his brothers included Merric Boyd the ceramacist and the novelist Martin Boyd...
(1890–1923), Martin à Beckett Boyd
Martin Boyd
Martin à Beckett Boyd was a member of Australia’s most prolific artistic dynasty of painters, sculptors, potters, writers, architects, graphic designers and musicians....
(1893–1972), a popular writer of fiction under the name "Martin Mills", and Merric Boyd
Merric Boyd
William Merric Boyd was an Australian artist active as a ceramicist, painter, and sculptor.Merric Boyd is credited as the father of studio pottery in Australia; he is also known for his drawing, painting and sculpting...
(1888–1959), a potter, and a daughter Helen à Beckett Boyd, a painter.