Matthew Charles Meere (6 December 1890 – 17 October 1961), generally known as Charles Meere, was an English-born artist who studied art in England and France, served in World War I, and eventually settled in Australia in 1932. While pursuing his

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

art practice, he also worked as a commercial artist, exhibited widely and taught life classes to students such as

Freda Robertshaw Freda Rhoda Robertshaw (1916–1997) was an Australian artist and painter of neoclassical figures and landscapes. Her works are represented in major Australian public galleries, and her ''Standing Nude'' (1944) was considered a key attraction a ...

. He achieved considerable artistic and commercial success, winning the Sulman Prize in 1938 with ''Atalanta's Eclipse'', a neo-classical interpretation of the Greek myth. One of his colleagues described him as "somewhat of a character, slightly eccentric, looking like a businessman, with a droll sense of humour". Meere is best known for his stylised art deco paintings dating from the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

, most notably ''Australian Beach Pattern'' (1938–40). Alternately criticised or praised for its studied formality, this painting has been variously interpreted as a celebration of Australian beach culture, a glorification of heroic racial purity, or as a nuanced reflection of Australia's unpreparedness for World War II. It was among the quintessential Australian images chosen for the

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly-constructed location or the start of an event.

of the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

program and was included in the major exhibition of Australian art held at London's National Gallery in 2013. Meere's grandson is a painter of some note. He is based in Sydney and travels the world for inspiration.

Notes

1890 births 1961 deaths Artists from Sydney Painters from London Wynne Prize winners British emigrants to Australia 20th-century Australian male artists Australian male painters Australian artists 20th-century Australian painters Australian modern painters {{Australia-painter-stub