Herbert Edward Badham (1899–1961) was an Australian realist painter and art teacher.

Herbert Badham
Self portrait sketch
Born1899
Watsons Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Died24 September 1961
EducationJulian Ashton Art School
Occupation(s)Painter; art teacher
SpouseEnid Wilson
Children1 daughter

Biography

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Early life

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Herbert Badham was born in 1899 in Watsons Bay, a suburb of Sydney, Australia to Herbert Lewis Badham (c. 1870 – 1937) and his wife Mary.[1][2][3][4][5] He was one of five children in the family. He enlisted in the Australian Royal Navy in 1917 to serve in World War I.[1] From 1925 to 1938, he studied painting at the Julian Ashton Art School, where he was tutored by Julian Ashton, George Washington Lambert and Henry Gibbons.[1][2][3][5]

Career

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He was a realist painter, and focused on painting scenes of everyday life.[6] "People in crowds, in the streets, in pubs, waiting, playing, watching others, travelling to and from work."[7] His work was exhibited at the Society of Artists from 1927 to his death.[5] Later, in 1939, his first solo exhibition took place at the Grosvenor Gallery, Sydney.[1] A review of the exhibition described a collection of portraits in pencil and a series of oils. Of particular note, the work 'Travellers' was described as "bustling plebian."[8] In a similar vein, another review praised Badham's ability to paint "aspects of Sydney life which few painters have the courage to tackle."[9]

Badham taught painting at the East Sydney Technical College from 1938 to 1961.[1][4] He published two books about Australian art,[1][3][5][10] A Study of Australian Art, 1949, and A Gallery of Australian Art, 1954.

By April 1950 he was living at Darling Point Road, Darling Point.[11] He married dressmaker Enid Wilson in Sydney in 1927.[12] Their daughter, Chebi Badham, became an artist and animator.[13]

Currently, two of his paintings are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.[14] Another painting is found at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in Ballarat.[4] Another painting is exhibited at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.[6]

Death

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He died on 24 September 1961.[2] His obituary reported Badham died in Royal South Sydney Hospital on Sunday, aged 62. "Mr Badham, of Macleay Street Potts Point, was head teacher at the National Art School, East Sydney.[15]

Works

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Paintings by Badham include:

  • Self-portrait (early 1920s).[16]
  • Travellers (1933).[1]
  • Breakfast piece (1936).[2]
  • The fairground, Sydney (1944).[6]
  • The vegetable shop (1950).[4]
  • Domesticity (1959).[17]
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National, State, and regional galleries across Australia holds works by Herbert Badham.

Bibliography

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  • Herbert Badham (1949), A Study of Australian Art (Sydney: Currawong Press).[5][10]
  • Herbert Badham (ed.) (1954), A Gallery of Australian Art (Sydney: Currawong Press).[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bonhams: Herbert Badham (1899-1961) Travellers 1933
  2. ^ a b c d Herbert Badham: Breakfast piece Art Gallery of New South Wales
  3. ^ a b c Herbert Badham Canadian War Museum
  4. ^ a b c d Henry Badham: The vegetable shop Art Gallery of Ballarat
  5. ^ a b c d e f Cbus: Herbert Badham 1899–1961
  6. ^ a b c The fairground, Sydney, 1944, Canadian War Museum
  7. ^ Dixon, Christine (1987). Herbert Badham, 1899-1961 : an exhibition organised by the Wollongong City Gallery with assistance from the Regional Galleries Association of New South Wales / catalogue essay: Christine Dixon ; curator: Christine France. Wollongong City Gallery. p. 4. ISBN 0959425039.
  8. ^ "Herbert Badham: interesting painter". Sydney Morning Herald. 25 May 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Badham's Art Is Sincere". The Sun. 25 May 1939. p. 38. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  10. ^ a b National Library of Australia: Herbert Badham
  11. ^ The Sun (Sydney) 16 April 1950, p.7
  12. ^ New South Wales registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
  13. ^ State Library of New South Wales; Macquarie Street, Sydney (9 March 2018). "Domesticity". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 11 July 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Art Gallery of New South Wales: Works by Herbert Badham
  15. ^ "Death of Mr Badham". Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 1961. p. 5. ISSN 0312-6315.
  16. ^ Henry Badham: Self-portrait, Art Gallery of New South Wales
  17. ^ Bonhams: Domesticity, 1959