George Folingsby facts for kids
George Frederick Folingsby was an important Irish-born Australian painter and art teacher. He is remembered for his detailed paintings and for changing how art was taught in Australia. He helped many young artists learn to paint from real life.
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Early Life and Art Training
Folingsby was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, on August 23, 1828. When he was 18, he moved to Canada. Later, he went to New York City. There, he studied drawing and created pictures for popular magazines like Harper's Magazine.
Learning in Europe
In 1852, Folingsby traveled to Munich, Germany. He spent two years studying at the art school of the Royal Academy. After that, he went to Paris, France, for a few months. In Paris, he learned from the famous artist Thomas Couture. He then returned to Munich and spent five years learning from another great artist, Carl von Piloty.
Famous Paintings and Awards
In 1864, a big art gallery in Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, bought one of Folingsby's paintings. This painting was called Bunyan in Prison. Even though his painting was in Australia, Folingsby continued to live in Munich.
He often showed his art in Ireland and England. His painting The first lesson was displayed in the Royal Academy in 1869. Another painting, Lady Jane's victory over Bishop Gardener, was shown in 1871. Folingsby also won awards for his historical paintings. He received medals at art shows in Vienna in 1871 and Philadelphia in 1873.
Moving to Australia
Folingsby arrived in Melbourne, Australia, on July 1, 1879. He came with his ten-year-old daughter. People in Australia already knew he was very good at painting people. Many important people in Melbourne wanted him to paint their portraits. This helped him earn a living.
Leading the National Gallery
On June 1, 1882, Folingsby was offered an important job. He became the head teacher of painting at the National Gallery of Victoria's art school. In September of that same year, he became the first Director of the National Gallery of Victoria.
As Director, he made big changes to the painting school. Before him, students mostly copied old paintings. Folingsby stopped this practice. He strongly encouraged students to paint from real life instead. This new way of teaching helped many young Australian artists.
Inspiring New Artists
Folingsby taught many talented students. Some of his most famous pupils included John Longstaff and Aby Altson. They were the first two students to win special awards called "travelling scholarships." These awards allowed them to study art overseas. Another notable student was Iso Rae.
After Folingsby passed away on January 4, 1891, Lindsay Bernard Hall took over as the Director of the National Gallery of Victoria.
