Florence Turner Blake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florence Turner Blake
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Miss Florence Greaves painted by Tom Roberts, 1898
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Florence Turner Blake Greaves
26 October 1873 Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
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| Died | 8 April 1959 (aged 85) Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
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| Education | Sydney Art School |
| Spouse(s) | William Edward Kugelmann Mofflin (1902–1915) |
Florence Turner Blake (1873–1959) was an important Australian artist. She was also a generous person who gave a lot of money to art. She was known by several names during her life, including Florence Turner Mofflin and Florence Turner Greaves.
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Early Life of Florence Blake
Florence Turner Blake Greaves was born on October 26, 1873. She was the youngest of six children. Her family lived in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. When she was about seven years old, her family moved to Bondi, a suburb of Sydney.
Florence Blake's Art Career
Florence Greaves was one of the first students at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney. This was a famous art school. She likely met the well-known artist Tom Roberts there. Tom Roberts painted two portraits of Florence. One is called Portrait of Florence (around 1898). The other is a pastel drawing named Miss Florence Greaves (1898).
In April 1902, Florence married William Edward Kugelmann Mofflin in Sydney. Some of her artworks have her married name, Mofflin. Her marriage ended in 1915.
After her father passed away in 1925, Florence traveled to London. She studied art at the Slade School from 1925 to 1929. While there, she became friends with another artist, Lucien Pissarro. He even gave her one of his paintings.
In 1928, she officially changed her name to Florence Turner Blake. She chose this name to honor her great-grandparents, Thomas Turner and Barbara Blake.
Famous Artworks by Florence Blake
Florence Blake is best known for her beautiful watercolor paintings on silk fans. Some of her famous works include:
- Frivolers (1916)
- Garden of Dreams (1920)
These two fans are part of the collection at the National Art Gallery of New South Wales. Another important work is The Silver Moon, which is in the National Gallery of South Australia.
Florence Blake: A Generous Supporter of Art
Florence Blake passed away in Ryde, New South Wales, on April 8, 1959. She was cremated. She left almost all of her money to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This was a very large gift, worth about 54,214 pounds at the time. It was the biggest gift the gallery had ever received. This made her a very important benefactor, someone who gives money to help an organization.
Two places in Canberra, Australia, are named after her. Greaves Place in the suburb of Conder honors her. Also, Mofflin Street in Chisholm is named after her.
