Artist Caroline Barker seated holding paintbrushes, circa 1980

Caroline Barker (1894–1988) was an Australian artist. She is best known for her portraits and still life. The

Museum of Brisbane Museum of Brisbane (MoB) explores contemporary and historic Brisbane, Australia, and its people through a program of art and social history exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours and children's activities. Located on Level 3, of Brisbane City Hall ...

(formerly Brisbane's Civic Art Gallery) holds a large collection of her works.

Early life

Caroline Barker was born on 8 September 1894 in

Ascot Vale Ascot Vale is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Ascot Vale recorded a population of 15,197 at the 2021 c ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. She commenced her art studies at the

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...

at the Melbourne Art Gallery (now the

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and most visited art museum. The NGV houses an encyclopedic art collection across two ...

) where she studied painting with Bernard Hall and drawing with

Frederick McCubbin Frederick McCubbin (25 February 1855 – 20 December 1917) was an Australian artist, art teacher and prominent member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, McCubb ...

. There she was awarded second prize for her monochrome painting in 1917, which provided her with a year's free tuition, enabling her to complete her studies in 1919. Due to her father's ill-health, the family relocated to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

in 1920. From 1921 to 1922, Barker became an art teacher at the

Ipswich Girls Grammar School , motto_translation = Diligence Overcomes All , established = 1892 , type = Independent, day & boarding , gender = Girls , denomination = Non-denominational , slogan = , principal = Peter Britton , key_people = , ch ...

, saving her money in order to continue her studies in England. She continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London under Frederick Cayley Robinson and

Charles Sims Charles Sims may refer to: * Charles Sims (painter) (1873–1928), British painter * Charles Sims (mathematician) (1938–2017), American mathematician * Charles Sims (aviator) (1899–1929), British World War I flying ace * Charles Sims (American ...

, where she also studied anatomy and the chemistry of painting, and then at the

Byam Shaw School of Art The Byam Shaw School of Art, often known simply as Byam Shaw, was an independent art school in London, England, which specialised in fine art and offered foundation and degree level courses. It was founded in 1910 by John Liston Byam Shaw and ...

under Vicat Cole. During this period her works were added to the collections of the Royal Academy, the

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

, the Paris Salon and the Byam Shaw.

Artist career

StateLibQld 1 121744 Portrait of Rhonda Kelly by artist Caroline Barker, 1942

Barker returned to Brisbane in November 1926. Initially she worked in the studios of Vida Lahey and Daphne Mayo before establishing her own studio in George Street. In 1928, Barker painted a portrait of

Lord Mayor of Brisbane The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is the chief executive of the City of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and the head of the Brisbane City Council. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner of the Liberal National Party was sworn in on ...

William Jolly in his mayoral robes and exhibited it at the Royal Queensland Art Society. Charles Herbert Gough was so impressed by the work that he initiated a public subscription to purchase the portrait as a gift for the mayor from the citizens of Brisbane. As Jolly was a popular mayor, the public were generous in their donations and the portrait was presented to the mayor in December 1928. Two of her works were used by

The Queenslander ''The Queenslander'' was the weekly summary and literary edition of the '' Brisbane Courier'', the leading journal in the colony—and later, federal state—of Queensland since the 1850s. ''The Queenslander'' was launched by the Brisbane New ...

newspaper for their colour covers, one of poinsettias in 1930 and another of gerbras and

bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

in 1931. Barker taught art at a number of schools including

Somerville House Somerville House is an independent, boarding and day school for girls, located in South Brisbane, an inner-city suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Established in 1899 as the Brisbane High School for Girls, the School was eventually nam ...

(1935-1946), Loreto College Coorparoo,

Clayfield College , motto_translation = Let Your Light Shine , established = 1931 , type = Independent, day and boarding , gender = Girls and Boys , denomination = Uniting Church and Pre ...

, and St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School and at her own home. Her students include many notable artists including: *

Margaret Cilento Phyllis Margaret Cilento (23 December 1923 – 21 November 2006) was an Australian painter and printmaker. Biography Cilento was born in Sydney, Australia on 23 December 1923. She studied at East Sydney Technical College. In 1947, Cilento went ...

Betty Churcher Elizabeth Ann Dewar Churcher (''née'' Cameron; 11 January 193131 March 2015) was an Australian arts administrator, best known as director of the National Gallery of Australia from 1990 to 1997. She was also a painter in her own right ea ...

(née Cameron) * Dorothy Coleman * Lola McCausland *

Margaret Olley Margaret Hannah Olley (24 June 192326 July 2011) was an Australian painter. She was the subject of more than ninety solo exhibitions. Early life Margaret Olley was born in Lismore, New South Wales. She was the eldest of three children of J ...

* John Rigby *

Hugh Sawrey Hugh David Sawrey, (born in Forest Glen, Queensland 1919, died Benalla Victoria, 1999) was an Australian artist and the founder of the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame, Longreach. Sawrey was an artist whose prolific output of paintings, and ...

* Gordon Shepherdson

Later life

Barker died on 23 July 1988 at

South Brisbane South Brisbane is an inner southern Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 7,196 people. Geography The suburb is on the southern bank of the Brisba ...

Awards

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for services to art, 30 December 1978

Gallery

File:Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander 1 May 1930, art work by Caroline Barker.jpg, Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander 1 May 1930 File:Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander annual October 12 1931, art work by Caroline Barker.jpg, Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander annual October 12, 1931

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Caroline 20th-century Australian painters 1894 births 1988 deaths 19th-century Australian women artists 20th-century Australian women artists Australian women painters Artists from Melbourne People from Ascot Vale, Victoria National Gallery of Victoria Art School alumni Artists from Brisbane