Ruth Sutherland facts for kids

Ruth Sutherland (1884–1948) was an Australian painter and art critic. She was one of the people who helped start the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society.

About Ruth Sutherland

Ruth Sutherland was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1884. Her grandfather, George Sutherland, was a well-known sketch artist who came to Australia from Scotland.

Ruth started her art studies with Gwen Barringer in South Australia. Later, she moved to Melbourne. There, she went to the National Gallery of Victoria Art School. She learned from a teacher named Lindsay Bernard Hall.

Ruth was not only a painter but also an art critic. This means she wrote about art. She wrote articles for a Melbourne newspaper called 'The Age'. She also wrote for a magazine called 'Art in Australia'. In her articles, she discussed artists like Max Meldrum and Hilda Rix Nicholas.

Art ran in Ruth's family! Her aunt, Jane Sutherland, was also a painter. Her sister, Margaret Sutherland, was a composer who wrote music. She was also a cousin to another artist, Stella Bowen.

Ruth was a member of the Twenty Melbourne Painters group. This was a society of artists in Melbourne. In 1918, she had an art show with two other artists, Dora Wilson and May Roxburgh. They showed paintings done with oils, watercolors, and pastels.

Ruth had worked with Dora Wilson before. In 1909, they were part of an art group called "The Waddy." Janet Cumbrae Stewart and Nora Gurdon were also in this group. Ruth loved painting landscapes, which are pictures of nature. She even rented a small house in Lilydale with Bernice Edwell and Florence Rodway. They used this cottage to sketch the beautiful countryside around them. She also showed her art with the Yarra Sculptors' Society.

Ruth Sutherland passed away in 1948. After she died, there was a special art show to remember her work. People said she was a "quiet artist" and that her paintings were very gentle and thoughtful.

Her Artworks

Ruth Sutherland painted many different subjects. She was known for her landscapes and still life paintings. Still life paintings show objects like fruit or flowers.

• Watercolour paintings by Ruth Sutherland
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  Still life, Private collection

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  Homestead, Private collection

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  Girl in a hammock, National Gallery of Victoria

Art Shows and Exhibitions

Ruth Sutherland showed her art in many exhibitions throughout her life. Here are some of the places where her work was displayed:

• 1909: "The Waddy" society of artists, Guild Hall
• 1909: Federal Art Exhibition, North terrace
• 1911: Yarra Sculptors Society, Athenaeum Hall
• 1912: "The Waddy" society (with Dora Taylor and Janet Cumbrae Stewart), Tuckett and Styles' Gallery
• 1912: Group exhibition (with Dora Wilson and Nora Gurdon), Tuckett and Styles' Gallery
• 1912: Victorian Artists Society autumn exhibition, Albert Street galleries
• 1913: Group exhibition, Athenaeum Hall
• 1914: Australian Art Association, Athenaeum Hall
• 1914: British History Tableaux (to help the Red Cross), Victorian Artists Society
• 1914: Twelve Melbourne Painters Society second exhibition, Athenaeum Hall
• 1915: Victorian Artists Society twentieth annual exhibition
• 1916: Victorian Artists Society annual exhibition
• 1916: French Week appeal exhibition, Town Hall
• 1917: Australian Art Association fifth annual exhibition
• 1918: Group exhibition (with Dora Wilson and May Roxburgh), Fine Art Society
• 1919: French aid exhibition, Fine Art Galleries
• 1919: Twenty Melbourne Painters Society, Athenaeum Gallery
• 1919: Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors annual exhibition, Victoria Markets
• 1920: Twenty Melbourne Painters Society, Athenaeum Hall
• 1940: Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors annual exhibition, Athenaeum Gallery
• 1941: Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors annual exhibition, Athenaeum Gallery
• 1950: Memorial exhibition for Ruth Sutherland, Melbourne Book Club Gallery