Richard Randall Art Studio facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Richard Randall Art Studio |
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Richard Randall Art Studio, 2013
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| Location | Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1900–1914 (early 20th century) |
| Built | c.1900 |
| Official name: Richard Randall Art Studio, Richard Randall's Studio | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600299 |
| Significant period | c. 1900 (fabric) 1900–1906, 1900 onwards (historical) |
| Significant components | studio – artist's / craftsman's |
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The Richard Randall Art Studio is a special building in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha. It's located on Mt Coot-tha Road in Toowong, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This studio was built around 1900. It's also known as Richard Randall's Studio. This historic place was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on October 21, 1992.
Contents
The Story of the Studio
The Richard Randall Art Studio was built in 1900. It was a two-storey wooden building. It served as a home and art studio for a Queensland artist named Richard John Randall. The studio was first located at 72 Cordelia Street in South Brisbane.
Richard Randall lived, worked, taught, and showed his art here. He used it for the last six years of his life. He sadly passed away in 1906 when he was only 37. After his death, the building was used as a home.
Moving the Studio
In 1988, the top floor of the studio was saved from being torn down. The Brisbane City Council bought it. It was then moved to Musgrave Park. In 2007, the studio was moved again. It found its current home in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mount Coot-tha.
Who Was Richard Randall?
Richard John Randall was born in Brisbane in 1869. His parents, George and Naomi Randall, had moved from England. Richard and his younger brother George went to the Brisbane Normal School.
Richard's Art Education
Richard later took art classes at the Brisbane Technical College. He won awards for his drawing and sculpting. His watercolours and drawings were shown at exhibitions in the late 1880s.
Queensland's art scene was quite new back then. The first art society started in 1887. Its goal was to promote art and hold exhibitions. Artists had few places to show their work. This society also hoped to create an art gallery for Queensland.
Studying Art in England
In 1891, Richard went to England with his mother and brother. His father, George Randall, was working there. Richard continued his art studies in England. He was accepted into a famous art school run by Professor Hubert von Herkomer. Richard spent several years there. He even earned a free scholarship.
In 1895, Richard Randall achieved a great honor. One of his watercolour paintings, "The Old Mill," was shown at the Royal Academy of Arts. After leaving school, Richard worked in London for 18 months. He had his own studio there. He painted portraits and visited beautiful places in England and Paris.
Returning to Queensland
Richard Randall came back to Queensland in 1899. He wanted to use his skills to help art in his home city. He quickly became involved in art shows and competitions in Brisbane. People called him a "daring colourist." His unique style soon influenced other local artists.
Designing His Own Studio
Richard Randall decided to build his own home and studio. He chose a piece of land his father owned in South Brisbane. It was at 72 Cordelia Street. A house called 'Hatfield' was already on the property. The studio was built next to it in 1900.
Richard himself oversaw the building of the studio. Its design was likely inspired by artists' studios in London. These studios often had a large painting room. They also had big windows and skylights for natural light.
Studio Features
The Randall studio was modest in size. It used local materials. But its design was similar to London artists' studios. A newspaper described it as looking like a "Swiss chalet." It had a steep roof with red tiles. It also had a large bay window and a skylight. These features helped control the light for painting.
The studio was on the upper floor at street level. The living area was downstairs. It had at least four rooms. The studio itself was one big room. It had high walls for hanging pictures. It even had a "model's throne" for people posing. People at the time called it "a fine commodious studio." They said it was "one of the best-equipped private studios in Australia."
Richard Randall's studio was not the first in Queensland. But special, stand-alone studios were rare. Most artists worked from existing shops or offices.
Richard's Life at the Studio
Once settled, Richard Randall started advertising art lessons. He taught drawing and painting. He used oils, watercolours, and pastels. On Wednesday afternoons, he welcomed visitors. This was a chance for people to socialize and see his new artworks.
Richard became a popular artist and teacher in Brisbane. His studio became a hub for local artists. When he wasn't teaching, Richard traveled. He looked for new scenes to paint in south-east Queensland. He was also active in art clubs. He was vice-president of the Queensland Art Society from 1903.
A Sad Loss
Richard Randall's art was also shown in London galleries. His paintings of Australian landscapes were very popular. They gave people a new, positive view of the Australian bush.
Sadly, Richard Randall died suddenly in October 1906. He was only 37 years old. It is believed he had a brain tumor. His funeral was attended by many artists from Brisbane.
Richard's father, George, was very shocked by his son's death. He spent years promoting Richard's art. In 1907, he published a memorial book. It had photos of Richard, his studio, and his paintings. The studio and its contents were kept as they were until about 1913. People could visit and see Richard's works.
The Randall Art Collection
In 1909, the South Brisbane City Council agreed to take 600 of Richard's artworks. George Randall offered land for a gallery. But the collection ended up on the upper floor of the South Brisbane Library. This space became the Randall Art Gallery.
The collection included all kinds of Richard's works. It had early sketches and his best paintings. After 1922, George Randall added more paintings. He bought them from a London art gallery.
In 1925, a sculptor named Charles Lowther made a bust of Randall. A bust is a sculpture of someone's head and shoulders. The Queensland Governor Matthew Nathan unveiled it at Randall's studio on June 19, 1925.
When the City Council of Greater Brisbane formed in 1925, they took over the collection. It was moved to Brisbane City Hall. Some paintings were displayed. But many were stored in the basement. A newspaper article in 1953 claimed the paintings were being damaged.
In the mid-1980s, a big effort was made to find and restore the collection. It had shrunk to 154 pieces. As of 2013, the Richard Randall collection is part of the Museum of Brisbane art collection.
The Studio's Later Life
Richard Randall's family owned the Cordelia Street property until 1981. From late 1913, the studio was rented out as a home. In 1987, the studio was listed by the National Trust of Queensland. They called it a "unique example of a purpose-built artist's studio."
In 1988, the building was almost torn down. But the Brisbane City Council bought it. Only the top floor, the former studio, was saved. It was moved to Musgrave Park. The rest of the building was demolished. The studio was repaired and updated. A small kitchen was added.
The studio officially opened in December 1990. It became part of the Jagera Arts Centre. The council also started an award. It let selected local artists use the studio for free.
By the mid-2000s, the studio needed repairs. It was also getting damaged by vandals. So, in 2007, the council moved it again. It went to its current spot in the Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. It opened on October 6, 2008. Today, the renovated studio is used for events and exhibitions. It can be hired by the public and community groups.
What the Studio Looks Like Now
The Richard Randall Art Studio is a small, single-storey wooden building. It's in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha. It sits among tall trees and bamboo. You can easily see it from the car park.
The building is raised on timber and steel posts. It faces south-west. A wooden walkway leads from the car park to the front door. There's a timber picket fence and a garden bed in front.
Building Details
The studio is about 6 meters wide and 14 meters long. It has a narrow front and a small porch at the back. The roof is very steep. It's covered in red tiles. It has decorative pieces at the top.
Right below the front roof is a large skylight. It's supported by wooden bars. Below the skylight is a bay window. This window has three parts. The top parts of the windows have many small panes of glass. The bottom parts have one large pane. Both the skylight and the bay window have modern blinds outside.
The studio has only two other small windows. One is on each side. These are wooden windows that slide up and down. They also have multi-paned top sections.
The front of the studio is covered in timber boards. The sides are covered in weatherboards. The back porch wall shows its wooden frame. A modern bathroom has been added to the porch area.
A small roof hangs over the entrance. It's supported by curved wooden brackets. The front door is made of wood and has four panels. It has some old door handles.
Inside the Studio
The inside of the studio is one large room. It gets a lot of light from the big bay window and skylight. A wooden wall creates an entrance area. This wall has wide wooden shelves on top.
The ceiling is curved. You can see the wooden beams of the roof frame. The ceiling and walls are covered in wooden boards. The floor is made of polished wooden boards.
The studio has modern features like a rail for hanging pictures. It also has new lights, switches, and power outlets. A small kitchen area is in one corner.
The door to the back porch is a modern wooden door. The porch floor is covered in linoleum. The ceiling of the porch is also covered in wooden boards.
The area under the studio is used for storage. It's enclosed with vertical wooden slats.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Richard Randall Art Studio was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992. This means it's important for several reasons:
- It shows Queensland's history: The studio shows how art grew in Queensland in the early 1900s. It was built for a young artist who studied in England. It represents the belief that Queensland could be a place for art and culture.
- It's a rare type of building: This studio is a special example of a purpose-built artist's studio. It's one of the only ones from the early 20th century in Queensland. Most artists back then worked from regular shops.
- It shows what an artist's studio should be like: The studio has the main features of a purpose-built artist's studio. It has one large room for different uses. It has big, plain walls for displaying art. And it has carefully placed windows and a skylight for good light.
- It's linked to an important person: The studio is strongly connected to Richard John Randall. He was a popular and important artist in his time. He helped art and culture in Queensland through his paintings, teaching, and involvement in art societies. He lived, worked, and taught in this studio for the last six years of his life. His works were also displayed here for seven years after he died. The collection of his art, given by his family, started the Brisbane City Council's art collection.
