Mary Elizabeth Tripe (née Richardson, 14 September 1870 – 21 September 1939), generally known as Mollie Tripe, was a New Zealand artist and art teacher.

Education and family

Tripe was born Mary Elizabeth Richardson in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, New Zealand, the daughter of

Edward Richardson Edward Richardson (7 November 1831 – 26 February 1915) was a New Zealand civil and mechanical engineer, and Member of Parliament. Born in England, he emigrated to Australia and continued there as a railway engineer. Having become a partner ...

, a Member of Parliament for

Kaiapoi Kaiapoi is a town in the Waimakariri District of the Canterbury region, in the South Island of New Zealand. The town is located approximately 17 kilometres north of central Christchurch, close to the mouth of the Waimakariri River. It is con ...

, and his second wife, Frances Mary Elizabeth (Corke) Richardson. She attended

Christchurch Girls' High School Christchurch Girls' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, was established in 1877 and is the second oldest girls-only secondary school in the country, after Otago Girls' High School. History Christchurch Girls' High School was established i ...

. In 1900 she married Joseph Albert Tripe, a solicitor, and they had at least two children.

Art career

Tripe studied at the Canterbury School of Art and the new Wellington School of Design (WSD), then under the direction of its founder,

Arthur Dewhurst Riley Arthur Dewhurst Riley (18 February 1860 – 29 August 1929) was an English-born New Zealand artist, educationalist and businessman. Riley was an advocate of technical education, and had a significant impact on the provision of technical and vocat ...

. She graduated from the WSD in 1890 with a teaching certificate and went on to get a master's certificate in 1894. She started teaching drawing at the WSD in 1889; among her colleagues were

James Nairn James McLauchlan Nairn (18 November 1859 – 22 February 1904) was a New Zealand painter who (along with G. P. Nerli) strongly influenced New Zealand painting in the late 19th century. He believed in en plein air or painting outdoors. Life and w ...

and Mabel Hill. She left the school following her marriage but continued to give private lessons. She taught oil painting to artist and print maker Hinehauone Coralie Cook. From the 1880s onwards, Tripe exhibited in New Zealand, in London, at the

Paris Salon The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...

, and elsewhere. She started out as an

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

painter but over time moved towards a more realistic style founded in strong draughtsmanship. She became known especially for her portraits of leading New Zealand citizens, including

Sir Robert Stout Sir Robert Stout (28 September 1844 – 19 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who was the 13th premier of New Zealand on two occasions in the late 19th century, and later Chief Justice of New Zealand. He was the only person to hold both ...

, Sir Frederic Truby King, Sir Michael Myers,

William Edward Sanders Lieutenant Commander William Edward Sanders, (7 February 1883 – 14 August 1917) was a First World War New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that could be awarded to Brit ...

, and the painter

Dolla Richmond Dorothy Kate Richmond (12 September 1861 – 16 April 1935), known as Dolla Richmond, was a New Zealand painter noted for her watercolour paintings of natural plants and animals and panoramic landscapes. Biography The daughter of James Crowe ...

. In 1893, she became the first woman appointed to the council of the

New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts The New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (also referred to as the Wellington Art Society) was founded in Wellington in July 1882 as The Fine Arts Association of New Zealand. Founding artists included painters William Beetham (first president of the Ass ...

, and she also influenced the founding of the

National Art Gallery of New Zealand National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

and its portrait collection. She was awarded the Coronation Medal in 1937, and died at her home in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

on 21 September 1939. Her ashes were buried in

Karori Cemetery Karori Cemetery is New Zealand's second largest cemetery, located in the Wellington suburb of Karori. History Karori Cemetery opened in 1891 to address overcrowding at Bolton Street Cemetery. In 1909, it received New Zealand's first cremato ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tripe, Mary Elizabeth 1870 births 1939 deaths People from Christchurch New Zealand art teachers 20th-century New Zealand painters 20th-century New Zealand women artists People educated at Christchurch Girls' High School Burials at Karori Cemetery