Rosemary Ryan (artist) facts for kids

Rosemary Ryan (born October 10, 1926, died September 19, 1996) was an Australian painter. She created art in the middle to late 1900s.

Rosemary Ryan's Early Life and Art Training

Rosemary Elizabeth Chesterman was born in Tasmania, Australia, on October 10, 1926. She was the only child of Thelma and Rupert Chesterman. When Rosemary was five, her mother passed away. Her father later remarried. In 1937, when she was eleven, her family moved to Melbourne. She went to school at St Catherine's in Toorak.

Studying Art and Meeting Her Husband

Rosemary studied at the Melbourne University. There, she met Patrick Ryan, a journalist from Germany. They got married in 1949. Rosemary became very interested in art during her studies. She joined the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in 1950. She also attended George Bell's private art school. She had sometimes joined his classes as a child. She continued her art studies until 1952.

In 1952, Patrick's father, Rupert Ryan, passed away. He was a politician and left a large inheritance. Patrick inherited most of this money. Soon after, Rosemary and Patrick traveled to England. Rosemary continued her art studies at the Chelsea Polytechnic from 1954 to 1955. While in London, she showed two of her artworks in an exhibition in 1956.

Rosemary Ryan: An Exhibiting Artist

After returning to Melbourne, Rosemary and Patrick had two children, Domenic and Siobhan. By 1960, Rosemary began showing her paintings regularly. She had solo art shows every two or three years until 1993.

Patrick Ryan also worked in films. He was a producer for Eltham Films. Rosemary worked on some of these films too. She was the art director for the movie Two Thousand Weeks. She also helped with the scenery for a children's TV show called Sebastian the Fox. Her son Domenic was inspired by this and became a filmmaker.

Rosemary's Unique Art Style

Early in her career, Rosemary Ryan tried using a spray gun for her art. This was part of a style called Pop Art. But she soon found her own unique style. She painted scenes from the late 1800s and early 1900s in Australia. These paintings often had a gentle feminist message.

Her friend, artist Charles Blackman, influenced her style. She bought one of his famous Alice in Wonderland paintings. Another close friend was the artist Mirka Mora. In 1958, Rosemary helped Mirka decorate her Balzac restaurant.

Rosemary became well-known through her art exhibitions. Her work was shown at several galleries in Melbourne and Sydney. In 1971, an exhibition called the "9 x 5 Impression Exhibition" was recreated. Many famous artists were asked to paint on small cigar-box lids. Rosemary Ryan was one of these artists. By 1974, her paintings were selling for good prices.

Public Art and Inspiration

In 1979, Rosemary Ryan painted a Melbourne tram. This was part of a project called 'Transporting Art'. Many artists decorated trams between 1978 and 1983.

For her 1983 exhibition, Rosemary created a special painting. She held a barbecue for 30 friends by the Yarra River. Her friends posed for her Australian version of famous paintings like Seurat’s La Grande Jatte.

In 1990, another exhibition of her work was inspired by the book Picnic at Hanging Rock. Rosemary knew the book's author, Joan Lindsay. People said Rosemary's paintings captured the charm of the Australian bush.

Rosemary Ryan's Later Life

Rosemary was active in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Women's Association. In 1987, a photographer named Joyce Evans took her portrait. Her husband, Patrick, passed away in 1989.

Rosemary Ryan died on September 19, 1996, in South Yarra. She was survived by her daughter Siobhan and her son Domenic. Her son remembered her as a loving mother and a generous friend. She is buried near Hanging Rock, which was the subject of one of her last art shows.

Exhibitions

• 1952, October: Victorian Artists' Society spring exhibition. Victorian Artists' Society gallery, East Melbourne
• 1956, from March 3: Australian Artists' Association exhibition. Imperial Institute Art Gallery, London
• 1958, October: Contemporary Art Society, Museum of Modern Art Australia, Melbourne
• 1963, July: Solo show South Yarra Gallery
• 1965, March: Solo show South Yarra Gallery
• 1965, May 22–30: A unique exhibition of avant-garde art. Latchford Showroom, Surry Hills, New South Wales
• 1966, February: Georges Art Prize
• 1966–67: Gallery A. Summer exhibition 66, Australian paintings, drawings, watercolours, sculpture. Gallery A
• 1967, March 21–April 5: Rosemary Ryan, Johnstone Gallery, Brisbane
• 1969, from March 24: Group show with Richard Reardon, John Martin, Edward Kidson-Lord, and Christopher White. Rosalind Humphries Galleries, Armadale
• 1976, March 30–April 20: Solo show Rosemary Ryan, Powell Street Gallery, South Yarra
• 1978, April 15–22: Recherche de Temps Perdu, Anna Simons Gallery, Forrest
• 1978, to August 30: Recherche de Temps Perdu. Leveson Street Gallery, North Melbourne Galleries
• 1983, October: Paintings by Rosemary Ryan, Zanders Bond gallery, Armadale
• 1990, February: Picnic at Hanging Rock: Rosemary Ryan. Libby Edwards Galleries, South Yarra
• 1993, November 9–26: A [sic] recherche du temps perdu: Rosemary Ryan. Libby Edwards Gallery, South Yarra