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Gladstone Eyre
Born
William James Gladstone Eyre

(1862-06-11)11 June 1862
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died2 May 1933(1933-05-02) (aged 70)
North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
OccupationArtist
Spouse
Margaret Ross Falconer
​
​
(m. 1883)​
ChildrenWinifred (b. 1884), Julian William (b. 1888, d. 1889), Everett (b. 1892)
Parent(s)William Eyre, and Amelia Watts

Gladstone Eyre (11 June 1862 – 2 May 1933) was an Australian portrait artist and landscape painter around Sydney, New South Wales and Launceston, Tasmania in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[1]

Early life

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William James Gladstone Eyre was born on 11 June 1862 in Brunswick, Victoria, the child of William Eyre and Amelia née Watts.[1] The other siblings were Arthur Willesley Eyre (born 1856), Alice Augusta H. C. Eyre (born 1858), Samuel Morton Pets Eyre (born 1860), Charles Pelham Villiers Eyre (born 1864), Henry John Temple Eyre (born 1864), Mary Amelia Victoria Felicia Eyre (born 1865), Josephine Fanny Eyre (born 1867), Frances Burdett Coutts Eyre (b./d. 1868), and Frederick Constantine Grosvenor Eyre (born 1869, died 1870).[2]

His eldest brother Arthur went to Scotch College, Melbourne in 1868, where Dutch–Australian painter Henry Leonardus van den Houten (1801–1879) taught.[1] Eyre was taught elementary drawing by van den Houten.[1]

In 1877 the family moved to Sydney, and Eyre studied under Norwegian painter Knud Bull (1811–1889).[1] Eyre's father was a land developer and later established the Blue Mountains township of Leura, the area of interest becoming of interest to Eyre.[1]

Aged twenty, Eyre married Margaret Ross Falconer, of Balmain, on 26 June 1883 at Saint James' Church, Sydney.[3]

They had three children. A daughter, Winifred Margaret was born 10 April 1884, when they lived at Eleanor Villa, Snail's Bay, Balmain.[4] Their infant son Julian William Eyre died aged 1 year and 5 months on 22 November 1889, when they lived at Bellagie, Hunter's Hill.[5] They had been living at their Bella Vista residence in Snails Bay.[6] Their third child was a son, Everett (given as John Everett Millais Eyre), born in Launceston in March 1892.

Career

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In 1883 Eyre became a member of the Art Society of New South Wales (and again in 1904 when returning to the State), and through the 1880s, he established himself as a portrait painter.[1] He operated a studio at the Pastoral Chambers, at 375 George Street.[7] Others' paintings were advertised and sold commercially including in 1884, J. M. W. Turner's renown 1831 'Caligula's palace'.[7][a][b]

Eyre moved to Launceston in 1891 with his wife and family where his paintings were displayed in a shop front of a local photographer.[1][9] His Tasmanian landscapes were in oils, crayon, and watercolours.[1] Eyre went onto teach evening classes, and undertaking the restoration of old paintings.[1] He donated at least one painting for charitable purposes, including in 1900 of a portrait of Lord Roberts for the Indian famine relief fund,[10] as well as regularly selling his works.[11] In April 1899, he travelled to Sydney to sell a collection of his paintings, mostly Tasmanian scenery.[12]

In 1902, aged 39, Eyre and his family moved back to Sydney in 1902.[1] It was indicated the then-Australia Hotel in Sydney contained a number of very fine paintings of Australian scenes including eight watercolours by Eyre.[13]

Later life

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His daughter Winifred became involved in stage productions in Launceston in the late 1890s.[1] Eyre also recited and sung at these productions, and painted the background sceneries.[1] Winifred later married Oswald Augustus Nelson in North Sydney on 4 August 1906.[14]

His son Everett married Mary Daly, had a daughter Joyce, but died aged 36, on 7 January 1929 in Sydney, when the family was living at 1 Chandos Street, Saint Leonards.[15] He was buried at the Church of England Cemetery, Northern Suburbs, Sydney.[16]

Eyre resided at 56 Middle Street, McMahon's Point, North Sydney until his death in 1933.[1] Suffering from insomnia for some time, he left his home early on Monday morning, but was found floating at Athol Bight near the zooloogical gardens on Tuesday, 2 May 1933.[17] He was privately interred at the Northern Suburbs Cemetery.[18]

Works

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A sample of some of Eyre's portraits, and landscapes.

Portraits

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Landscapes

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  • 'Cataract Gorge, First basin', Launceston (1892), once exhibited in the Victoria Museum and Art Gallery.[31] It has been exhibited as recently as 2020.[32] The original sketch was done in December 1891 when the Cataract was in flood.[33]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ 'Caligula's palace' had been in Melbourne in December 1882, but was unable to be sold, the price set at £4000.[8]
  2. ^ Whilst 'Caligula's palace and bridge' was advertised by purchase by Eyre in 1884, Turner's painting is currently in the Tate Britain and 'Accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856'. It is unknown when this work was returned to Great Britain to become part of the bequest.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Gladstone Eyre b. 11 July 1862". Design and Art Australia Online. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Family history search". Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria. State of Victoria. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. XXXVI, no. 1200. New South Wales, Australia. 7 July 1883. p. 41. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 14, 378. New South Wales, Australia. 26 April 1884. p. 1. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 16, 121. New South Wales, Australia. 25 November 1889. p. 1. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 15, 709. New South Wales, Australia. 28 July 1888. p. 1. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b c "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 14, 487. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1884. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Colonial news". The Tasmanian. Vol. XI, no. 49. Tasmania, Australia. 9 December 1882. p. 1362. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "A new picture". Launceston Examiner. Vol. LII, no. 79. Tasmania, Australia. 22 March 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Mosty up north". The Clipper. Vol. 8, no. 367. Tasmania, Australia. 28 April 1900. p. 4. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ a b "Apt and Artists". The Federalist. Vol. 1, no. 22. Tasmania, Australia. 3 December 1898. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Paintings of Tasmania". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 9941. New South Wales, Australia. 18 April 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ Auction Catalogue. F. R. Strange Pty. Ltd. July 1971. pp. 24, 28, 50.
  14. ^ "Family notices". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). No. 8502. New South Wales, Australia. 1 September 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 396. New South Wales, Australia. 8 January 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 396. New South Wales, Australia. 8 January 1929. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Body found in harbour". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 29, 744. New South Wales, Australia. 3 May 1933. p. 18. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 29, 747. New South Wales, Australia. 6 May 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "News of the day". The Age. No. 8, 138. Victoria, Australia. 15 March 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Turf Gossip". The Australasian. Vol. XXXIV, no. 885. Victoria, Australia. 17 March 1883. p. 9. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "The Late Archbishop Vaughan". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 5155. New South Wales, Australia. 10 November 1883. p. 5. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Portrait of Sir Alfred Stephen". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 5529. New South Wales, Australia. 3 February 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "Mechanics' Institute". Southern Argus. No. 9778. New South Wales, Australia. 21 March 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "portrait of Mr. Gannon". Goulburn Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 2 May 1885. p. 4. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "Goulburn Mechanics' Institute.—Portrait of Mr. Gannon". Goulburn Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 16 May 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ "Current topics". Launceston Examiner. Vol. LI, no. 74. Tasmania, Australia. 27 March 1891. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "Portrait of the Premier". The Evening News (Sydney). No. 4331. New South Wales, Australia. 10 May 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ "Miscellaneous items". Australian Town and Country Journal. Vol. XXXII, no. 821. New South Wales, Australia. 3 October 1885. p. 41. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ^ "By Electric Telegraph". The Mercury. Vol. LXXI, no. 8756. Tasmania, Australia. 24 March 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ^ "A picture of Major-General Baden-Powell". Daily Telegraph. Vol. XX, no. 123. Tasmania, Australia. 24 May 1900. p. 3. Retrieved 2 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ^ "The Victoria Museum and Art Gallery". Daily Telegraph. Vol. XII, no. 268. Tasmania, Australia. 10 November 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ DUGGAN, Brinley (23 October 2020). "The National Automobile Museum of Tasmania now has an art exhibit". The Examiner (Tasmania). Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  33. ^ "Current topics". Launceston Examiner. Vol. LII, no. 20. Tasmania, Australia. 23 January 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 3 October 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
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