Arthur Boyd Essay

1292 Words3 Pages

Arthur Boyd is a renowned Australian artist, who started to follow in his family’s footsteps and began exploring his artistic abilities from after being conscripted to World War II; until his death in 1999. Boyd worked in a wide range of mediums including paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and tapestries in ways that are highly inventive. His main influences were Australian landscapes, wartime, aboriginal rights and surrealism. Many of Boyd’s works were drawn from personal experience, symbolising human emotions, aggression against love and conveying themes around family relationships, values and religious beliefs. Born into Australia’s leading art era, Arthur Boyd had a childhood that was heavily influenced by the practices of his relatives, who were all perusing artistic careers. Through the support and advantage of his family, he went on to become one of the most influential painters in Australian history. Arthur Boyd was born in the year 1920 in Murrumbeena. He is naturally talented - he received no additional artistic training except for the night classes he attended in Melbourne. He spent all his free time occupying his painting hobby, creating …show more content…

Referred to by the Prime Minister, John Howard as a, “giant among Australian artists“ Arthur Boyd was made Australian of the Year in 1995. He returned to his love of landscape painting after purchasing this Bundanoon property, he continued this profession until the very end. “With the purchase ...[of Bundanon] ...came one of the most sustained forms of inspiration to Arthur Boyd's work.” (Breuer, E.) He died in 1999 at the age of 78, generously leaving his $20 million property available for the Australian public to see. Today the work of Arthur Boyd is displayed in all of Australia’s major

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