Mary Stoddard facts for kids
Mary Stoddard (born around 1852 – died 1901) was a talented artist. She was born in Scotland but lived in Australia for about twenty years. Mary was famous for her beautiful still life paintings (pictures of objects like fruit or flowers), tiny miniature artworks, and large portraits of people. She even painted two portraits of a very important person named Sir Henry Parkes.
Quick facts for kids
Mary Stoddard
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Mary Devine
1852 |
| Died | 10 June 1901 (aged 48–49) |
| Known for | miniatures, portraits, still lifes |
Mary Stoddard's Artistic Journey
Mary Stoddard's birth name was Mary Devine. Her father, Peter Devine, was also an artist. He was a portrait painter and a photographer. Mary and her two sisters learned how to draw and paint from their father. This early training helped her become a skilled artist.
In 1875, Mary married Frederick Wahab Stoddard. After they got married, the couple moved to New Zealand. They tried farming there for a while.
Life and Art in Australia
Around 1880, Mary and Frederick moved to Sydney, Australia. This is where Mary's art career really took off. She joined a group called the Art Society of New South Wales. This society held yearly art shows, and Mary started to enter her own paintings.
In 1881, Mary won a special competition. She designed a Christmas card for a company called John Sands. Her winning design and other artworks were shown at an exhibition in 1883. This helped people notice her talent.
Famous Exhibitions and Collections
Mary Stoddard's art is kept in important places today. You can find her work in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Her paintings are also in the State Library of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia.
One of her paintings, called From earth and ocean, was shown at a very big event. This was the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. It was a huge world's fair held in Chicago, USA. Her painting was also displayed at the Exhibition of Australian Art in London in 1898. This show was held at the Grafton Galleries.
Mary Stoddard passed away in Kensington, London in 1901. She had an operation for appendicitis.
