Caroline Barker (artist) facts for kids
Caroline Barker (born 1894, died 1988) was a talented Australian artist. She was famous for painting people's faces (called portraits) and pictures of objects like fruit or flowers (called still lifes). The Museum of Brisbane has many of her artworks.
Early Life and Art School
Caroline Barker was born on September 8, 1894, in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
She began her art training at the art school in Melbourne. This school is now part of the National Gallery of Victoria. There, she learned painting from Bernard Hall and drawing from Frederick McCubbin. In 1917, she won second prize for a painting using only one color. This prize gave her a free year of lessons, so she finished her studies in 1919.
In 1920, her family moved to Brisbane in Queensland. This was because her father was not well. From 1921 to 1922, Caroline taught art at the Ipswich Girls' Grammar School. She saved her money to continue her art studies in England.
She then studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She learned from artists like Frederick Cayley Robinson and Charles Sims. She also studied how the body works (anatomy) and the science of paint. After that, she went to the Byam Shaw School of Art to study with Vicat Cole. During this time, her paintings were shown in important places. These included the Royal Academy, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, and the Paris Salon.
Becoming a Professional Artist
Caroline Barker came back to Brisbane in November 1926. First, she worked in the art studios of Vida Lahey and Daphne Mayo. Later, she opened her own art studio on George Street.
In 1928, Caroline painted a portrait of William Jolly, who was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane. She showed this painting at the Royal Queensland Art Society. A man named Charles Herbert Gough was very impressed. He asked people to donate money to buy the painting. They wanted to give it to the mayor as a gift from the people of Brisbane. Mayor Jolly was very popular, so many people gave money. The portrait was given to him in December 1928.
Two of her artworks were used on the colorful covers of The Queenslander newspaper. One cover in 1930 showed poinsettia flowers. Another in 1931 featured gerberas and bougainvillea.
Caroline Barker taught art at several schools. These included Somerville House (from 1935 to 1946), Loreto College Coorparoo, Clayfield College, and St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School. She also taught art lessons at her own home. Many of her students became well-known artists themselves. Some of them were:
- Margaret Cilento
- Betty Churcher
- Dorothy Coleman
- Lola McCausland
- Margaret Olley
- John Rigby
- Hugh Sawrey
- Gordon Shepherdson
Later Life
Caroline Barker passed away on July 23, 1988, in South Brisbane.
Awards
- She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on December 30, 1978. This award was given to her for her great contributions to art.
Gallery
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Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander, May 1, 1930
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Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander annual, October 12, 1931
