Josephine Muntz Adams facts for kids

Josephine Margaret Muntz Adams (born 1862, died 1949) was an Australian artist. She was especially known for painting portraits of people. A portrait she painted of Duncan Gillies, who was the leader (Premier) of Victoria from 1886 to 1890, can be seen in Parliament House, Melbourne. Another portrait she created, of the politician Charles McDonald, is in Parliament House, Canberra.

Her artworks are displayed in important galleries. These include the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery, Ballarat Art Gallery, Bendigo Art Gallery, and Castlemaine Art Museum.

Her Life Story

Josephine Margaret Muntz was born in 1862 in Barfold, near Kyneton, Victoria. This area in central Victoria was famous for its gold. Her parents were Jane Jamieson and Thomas Bingham Muntz. Her father was an engineer, farmer, and also bought and sold land. Josephine was their first child, and she had nine younger brothers and sisters.

In 1898, Josephine Muntz married Samuel Howard Adams. She was 36 years old and already a well-known artist. After they married, the couple moved to Brisbane, Queensland. There, Josephine continued to paint and teach art. She also visited her brother in Alice Springs and painted some artworks there.

Sadly, Samuel Adams died in 1903 in a horse and cart accident. After this, Josephine Muntz Adams moved back to Victoria. She lived there until 1917. Then, she returned to Brisbane for five years, from 1917 to 1922.

Josephine was very successful as an artist. Her paintings sold for high prices. By 1911, she bought two new pieces of land in East Melbourne. She rented these out to others. She lived in a nearby property until she passed away in 1949.

Josephine Muntz Adams died in Victoria when she was 87. She was buried with her husband in Toowong Cemetery in Brisbane. A street in Canberra, Muntz Street in Chisholm, is named after her to honor her memory.

Her Art Career

Josephine Muntz Adams built a very successful career as an artist. She had excellent training that helped her develop her talent.

Art Training

• 1882, 1884-1889: She studied at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in Melbourne. Other famous artists like Clara Southern and Arthur Streeton were her classmates.
• 1890 to 1896: She traveled to Paris and England to study art. She learned from leading artists who were experts in Impressionism and portrait painting.
  • In Paris, she attended the Académie Colarossi.
  • In England, she studied at the Herkomer Art School. Other Australian students there included Kathleen O'Connor and Blamire Young.

In 1930, a newspaper called the Brisbane Courier wrote about Josephine Muntz Adams' achievements. They said her self-portrait was one of the best works in an exhibition. The article mentioned her thorough training in Melbourne, Paris, and England. It also highlighted that she showed her art twice at the Old Salon in Paris. When she returned to Melbourne, she focused on painting portraits.

The newspaper also noted her famous portraits:

• The portrait of Duncan Gillies is in Parliament House, Melbourne.
• The portrait of Charles McDonald is in Parliament House, Canberra.
• A portrait of Mr. George Watson is in the Melbourne Hunt Club.
• A portrait of Mr. J. A. Panton hangs in the City Court, Melbourne.

In 2019, an Australian gallery owner named DJ Angeloro described Muntz Adams' work as "tier one." This means she was a professionally trained artist who earned a living from her art. She was highly praised in her time and created many Impressionist artworks. She also influenced the development of Impressionism through her teaching and art. Her work is recognized in important art collections.

Where Her Art Is Displayed

National Gallery Victoria:

• Girl reading, no date, National Gallery of Victoria. [1]
• Italian girl's head, 1913, National Gallery of Victoria. [2]
• Bridge, Venice, no date, National Gallery of Victoria. [3]

Queensland Art Gallery:

• Care, around 1893, Brisbane Gallery. [4]

Castlemaine Art Museum

• Untitiled landscape, around 1915.

Exhibitions

• 1899: Greater Britain Exhibition, Earl's Court, London. Josephine M. Adams won a Gold medal for her oil portrait of the Hon. Duncan Gillies.
• 1907: Annual exhibition, Victorian Artists Society. This show included her painting George Watson, M.F.H..
• 1907: Australian Exhibition of Woman's Work, Exhibition Buildings, Carlton, Victoria. You can see a poster for this exhibition by Dorothy Leviny in the Museum Victoria collection. [5]
• 1930: Annual Exhibition of the Victorian Artists’ Society. Her Self portrait was shown here.
• 1943: Athenaeum Gallery (Melbourne). She had a special solo exhibition here, showing many of her past works.