Hans Heysen facts for kids
Sir Hans Heysen (born October 8, 1877 – died July 2, 1968) was a famous Australian artist. He was born in Germany. He became well-known for his beautiful watercolour paintings of huge Australian gum trees.
Heysen also painted pictures of people and animals working hard in the Australian bush. He created amazing paintings of dry landscapes in the Flinders Ranges. He won the Wynne Prize for landscape painting nine times, which is a record!
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Hans Heysen's Early Life and Art Journey
Wilhelm Ernst Hans Franz Heysen was born in Hamburg, Germany. His family moved to Adelaide in South Australia in 1884 when he was 7 years old. Even as a young boy, Hans loved art.
When he was 14, he left school to work for a hardware store. But he still studied art at night school in his free time. His teacher was James Ashton. In 1897, he joined the Adelaide Easel Club. People quickly saw that he was a very talented artist.
Studying Art in France
When Hans was 20, some rich art lovers from Adelaide helped him. They paid for him to study art in France for four years. This was a big chance for him to learn and grow as an artist.
By 1912, Hans Heysen had earned enough money from his art. He bought a property called "The Cedars" near Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. This beautiful place became his home for the rest of his life. He lived there until he passed away in 1968 at 90 years old.
Hans Heysen is most famous for his wonderful paintings. They often show sheep and cattle among huge gum trees. He was great at capturing the amazing light and atmosphere of the Australian landscape.
Hans Heysen's Family Life
Hans Heysen married Selma Bartels (1878–1962) on December 15, 1904. Selma's father, Adolph H. F. Bartels, was once the Lord Mayor of Adelaide.
Their daughter, Nora Heysen, also became a very successful artist. Art talent clearly ran in the family!
Winning the Wynne Prize
The Wynne Prize is a very important award for landscape painting in Australia. Hans Heysen won this prize an amazing nine times! Here are some of his winning artworks:
- 1904 – Mystic Morn
- 1909 – Summer (a watercolour painting)
- 1911 – Hauling Timber
- 1920 – Toilers (a watercolour painting)
- 1922 – The Quarry (a watercolour painting)
- 1924 – Afternoon in Autumn (a watercolour painting)
- 1926 – Farmyard, Frosty Morning
- 1931 – Red Gums of the Far North (a watercolour painting)
- 1932 – Brachina Gorge
How Hans Heysen Was Honored
Hans Heysen received many honors for his contributions to art:
- In 1945, he was given the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire. This was for his work as a trustee of the Hobart National Gallery.
- In 1959, he was made a Knight Bachelor. This means he was given the title "Sir" for his great service to art.
- The Heysen Trail, a long walking track, was named after him.
- The Heysen Tunnels, a set of road tunnels, were also named in his honor.
- The Electoral district of Heysen, a voting area in South Australia, is named after Heysen.
