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

The Royal Queensland Art Society is an organisation for practicing artists and those who appreciate art in

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 , established_ ...

, Australia. It is the oldest art society in Queensland.

History

A meeting was held in the

Brisbane School of Arts Brisbane School of Arts is a heritage-listed school of arts at 166 Ann Street, Brisbane City, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1865 to 1985. It is also known as former Servants Home. It was added to the Queensland ...

on Thursday 4 August 1887 to propose the establishment of an art society in Queensland to be called the Queensland Art Society. It had nine initial members. The

Queensland Premier The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is ap ...

Samuel Griffith was the inaugural president and Edgar Walker was the vice-president. Other members included artists Isaac Walter Jenner, Oscar Fristrom and Louis Wilhelm Carl Wirth. The society held its first annual art exhibition in August 1888 at the Masonic Hall in Alice Street in conjunction with the

Brisbane Exhibition The Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show, and it is held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition, but it is more commonly known as the ...

. The exhibition consisted of about 200 works, mostly by local professional and amateur artists and supplemented by works of other artists loaned by the public. It was opened by Lady Musgrave, the wife of Queensland Governor

Anthony Musgrave Sir Anthony Musgrave (31 August 1828 – 9 October 1888) was a colonial administrator and governor. He died in office as Governor of Queensland in 1888. Early life He was born at St John's, Antigua, the third of 11 children of Anthony Musgr ...

. The newspaper review was somewhat mixed, making positive remarks about some works, but also criticising the local artists of making too many copies of famous works and painting British landscapes rather than creating original works of local subject matter. Some letters to the newspapers were extremely critical. The society received the

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

in 1926.

James Vincent Duhig James Vincent Duhig (1889–1963) was an Australian pathologist. In Brisbane, he established the first pathology laboratories at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital and the Brisbane General Hospital. He campaigned successfully to establish a medi ...

, noted pathologist and nephew of archbishop James Duhig, served as the Society's president 1937–1946.

References

{{Authority control Art societies Organisations based in Australia with royal patronage 1887 establishments in Australia Organizations established in 1887