Penleigh Boyd
Encyclopedia
Theodore Penleigh Boyd was an Australian artist
.
Penleigh Boyd was a member of the Boyd artistic dynasty
: his parents Arthur Merric Boyd
(1862–1940) and Emma Minnie Boyd (née à Beckett) were well-known artists of the day, and his brothers included Merric Boyd
the ceramacist (1888–1959) and the novelist Martin Boyd
(1893–1972). His son Robin Boyd
(1919–1971) became an famous and influential architect, educator and social commentator, and his nephews Arthur Boyd
, Guy Boyd
and David Boyd
became prominent artists.
Born in England
at Penleigh House, Westbury, Wiltshire
, Boyd received his artistic training from his parents and at the National Gallery Art School. He had his first exhibition at the Victorian Artists' Society at 18, and exhibited at the Royal Academy
in London at 21. He won second prize in the Australian Federal Government's competition for a painting of the site of the new national capital, Canberra
. He won the Wynne Prize
in 1914 with Landscape.
His Queensland-born wife, Edith Susan Gerard Anderson, was herself a skilled painter and also came from a cultivated family. Her father had been Director of the Queensland Department of Public Instruction, her brother Arthur was a prominent doctor, and her eldest sister Maud was of one of the first women to graduate with a B.A. degree from the University of Sydney (and is possibly Queensland's first female university graduate).
Penleigh Boyd travelled to Europe in 1911. He met Edith (who was ten years his senior) in Paris in 1912 and they married there on 15 October that year; painter E. Phillips Fox
was a witness, and Rupert Bunny
and Bessie Gibson were among the guests at the reception. The couple returned to Australia in 1913 and settled in Melbourne; their first child (Pamela) was born in the spring of 1913, but she died two weeks later.
In 1914, with his painting career flourishing, Penleigh purchased a block of land at Warrandyte and built a family home and studio, "The Robins". The Boyd's second child John á Beckett Boyd (known to all as Pat) was born in 1915. Soon after, Penleigh enlisted in the AIF
. Like his brothers Martin
and Merric
, he served in France during World War I
but he was gassed at Ypres
in 1917 (which left him with lasting physical problems) and he was invalided back to England and repatriated to Australia in March 1918.
The Boyd's second son Robin was born in January 1919. Penleigh continued to paint prolifically for the rest of his life, although his war service also left permanent psychological scars. In 1922 he took the remarkable step of selling "The Robins" and moving the family to Sydney; soon after was enlisted by Sydney Ure Smith
as one of the organisers of a major exhibition of contemporary European art. Penleigh took his family with him to England late in the year to pick paintings but returned to Australia without them in June 1923 to set up the exhibition, which was staged in Sydney and Melbourne in July-August.
Possibly as a result of his involvement in the exhibition, Penleigh grew disillusioned with his recent work, and he destroyed many of his lesser paintings and sold some of his better ones, realising ₤2500. During his wife's absence he carried on an open affair with Minna Schuler, daughter of the editor of The Age
but shortly before Edith and the children returned he bought back "The Robins" as well as purchasing a new Hudson
car. He met his family at Port Melbourne when they returned on November 24, but he and Edith quarrelled almost immediately.
On November 28, for reasons unknown, he took the Hudson to drive to Sydney. Although he was a skilled driver, he lost control on a sharp bend near Warragul and the car overturned. His passenger survived, but Penleigh suffered terrible injuries and died at the scene within minutes. Fortunately for his wife, the combination of the money from his estate (including the proceeds of the sale of "The Robins", the repaired car and about 40 paintings) plus a small inheritance from her father and an annual allowance from Penleigh's father enabled her to support their sons Pat and Robin without needing to work, even during the depths of the Depression.
Penleigh Boyd is best known as a landscapist with an accomplished handling of evanescent effects of light. A notable influence was artist E. Phillips Fox
, who introduced him to plein air techniques when they were neighbours in Paris in 1912-1913. At his death his obiturists compared him to Arthur Streeton
and rated him as one of the most promising painters of his generation.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
.
Penleigh Boyd was a member 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....
: his parents Arthur Merric Boyd
Arthur Merric Boyd
Arthur Merric Boyd was an Australian 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...
(1862–1940) and Emma Minnie Boyd (née à Beckett) were well-known artists of the day, and his brothers included 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...
the ceramacist (1888–1959) and the novelist Martin 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). His son Robin Boyd
Robin Boyd
Robin Gerard Penleigh Boyd CBE was an influential Australian architect, writer, teacher and social commentator...
(1919–1971) became an famous and influential architect, educator and social commentator, and his nephews Arthur Boyd
Arthur Boyd
Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd, AC, OBE was one of the leading Australian painters of the late 20th Century. A member of the prominent Boyd artistic dynasty in Australia, his relatives included painters, sculptors, architects or other arts professionals. His sister Mary Boyd married John Perceval,...
, Guy Boyd
Guy Boyd
Guy Boyd may refer to:*Guy Boyd *Guy Boyd...
and David Boyd
David Boyd (artist)
David Fielding Gough Boyd, OAM was an Australian artist, and a member of the Boyd artistic dynasty.-Boyd family artistic dynasty:...
became prominent artists.
Born in 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...
at Penleigh House, 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...
, Boyd received his artistic training from his parents and at the National Gallery Art School. He had his first exhibition at the Victorian Artists' Society at 18, and exhibited at 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...
in London at 21. He won second prize in the Australian Federal Government's competition for a painting of the site of the new national capital, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. He won the Wynne Prize
Wynne Prize
The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. One of Australia's longest running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne...
in 1914 with Landscape.
His Queensland-born wife, Edith Susan Gerard Anderson, was herself a skilled painter and also came from a cultivated family. Her father had been Director of the Queensland Department of Public Instruction, her brother Arthur was a prominent doctor, and her eldest sister Maud was of one of the first women to graduate with a B.A. degree from the University of Sydney (and is possibly Queensland's first female university graduate).
Penleigh Boyd travelled to Europe in 1911. He met Edith (who was ten years his senior) in Paris in 1912 and they married there on 15 October that year; painter E. Phillips Fox
E. Phillips Fox
- Education :Fox was born on 12 March 1865 to Alexander Fox and Rosetta Phillips at 12 Victoria Parade in Fitzroy, Melbourne, into a legal family whose firm, DLA Phillips Fox, still exists. He studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne from 1878 until 1886 under G. F...
was a witness, and Rupert Bunny
Rupert Bunny
Rupert Charles Wulsten Bunny was an Australian painter, born in St Kilda, Victoria. He achieved success and critical acclaim as an expatriate in fin-de-siècle Paris....
and Bessie Gibson were among the guests at the reception. The couple returned to Australia in 1913 and settled in Melbourne; their first child (Pamela) was born in the spring of 1913, but she died two weeks later.
In 1914, with his painting career flourishing, Penleigh purchased a block of land at Warrandyte and built a family home and studio, "The Robins". The Boyd's second child John á Beckett Boyd (known to all as Pat) was born in 1915. Soon after, Penleigh enlisted in the AIF
AIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
. Like his brothers Martin
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....
and Merric
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...
, he served in France during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
but he was gassed at Ypres
Ypres
Ypres is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote...
in 1917 (which left him with lasting physical problems) and he was invalided back to England and repatriated to Australia in March 1918.
The Boyd's second son Robin was born in January 1919. Penleigh continued to paint prolifically for the rest of his life, although his war service also left permanent psychological scars. In 1922 he took the remarkable step of selling "The Robins" and moving the family to Sydney; soon after was enlisted by Sydney Ure Smith
Sydney Ure Smith
Sydney George Ure Smith was an Australian arts publisher and promoter who 'did more than any other Australian to publicize Australian art at home and overseas'....
as one of the organisers of a major exhibition of contemporary European art. Penleigh took his family with him to England late in the year to pick paintings but returned to Australia without them in June 1923 to set up the exhibition, which was staged in Sydney and Melbourne in July-August.
Possibly as a result of his involvement in the exhibition, Penleigh grew disillusioned with his recent work, and he destroyed many of his lesser paintings and sold some of his better ones, realising ₤2500. During his wife's absence he carried on an open affair with Minna Schuler, daughter of the editor of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
but shortly before Edith and the children returned he bought back "The Robins" as well as purchasing a new Hudson
Hudson
- United States :* Hudson, Colorado, town in Weld County* Hudson, Florida, census-designated place in Pasco County* Hudson, Illinois, town in McLean County* Hudson, Indiana, town in Steuben County* Hudson, Iowa, town in Black Hawk County...
car. He met his family at Port Melbourne when they returned on November 24, but he and Edith quarrelled almost immediately.
On November 28, for reasons unknown, he took the Hudson to drive to Sydney. Although he was a skilled driver, he lost control on a sharp bend near Warragul and the car overturned. His passenger survived, but Penleigh suffered terrible injuries and died at the scene within minutes. Fortunately for his wife, the combination of the money from his estate (including the proceeds of the sale of "The Robins", the repaired car and about 40 paintings) plus a small inheritance from her father and an annual allowance from Penleigh's father enabled her to support their sons Pat and Robin without needing to work, even during the depths of the Depression.
Penleigh Boyd is best known as a landscapist with an accomplished handling of evanescent effects of light. A notable influence was artist E. Phillips Fox
E. Phillips Fox
- Education :Fox was born on 12 March 1865 to Alexander Fox and Rosetta Phillips at 12 Victoria Parade in Fitzroy, Melbourne, into a legal family whose firm, DLA Phillips Fox, still exists. He studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne from 1878 until 1886 under G. F...
, who introduced him to plein air techniques when they were neighbours in Paris in 1912-1913. At his death his obiturists compared him to Arthur Streeton
Arthur Streeton
Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton was an Australian landscape painter.-Early life:Streeton was born in Mount Duneed, near Geelong, and his family moved to Richmond in 1874. In 1882, Streeton commenced art studies with G. F. Folingsby at the National Gallery School.Streeton was influenced by French...
and rated him as one of the most promising painters of his generation.
External links
- Theodore (Penleigh) Boyd (1890-1923 Gravesite at Brighton General Cemetery (Vic)
- Penleigh Boyd on Artabase
- Penleigh and all the Boyds