B. 1908 – 1991

Anne Montgomery was a distinguished painter, printmaker, etcher and muralist, whose work was central to Melbourne's artistic community from the 1930s through the 1950s. Born into an artistic family—her father, William Montgomery, was a prominent stained-glass artist—Anne was immersed in Melbourne's vibrant art scene from a young age. She studied at the National Gallery of Victoria School under Bernard Hall before pursuing architectural studies and mural painting.

A key figure in the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, Montgomery exhibited widely and had her works collected by the National Gallery of Victoria and other prestigious institutions. Her early career was marked by a series of murals, though most have been lost due to building demolition. Throughout the 1940s, she became aligned with George Bell's circle, maintaining a more traditional approach while many artists around her moved toward abstraction.

Montgomery's art remained deeply connected to nature, particularly the coastlines of Sandringham and local flora, which she painted for decades. Her work gained renewed recognition posthumously, with her work part of a major exhibition on the Bell circle at the National Gallery of Victoria and continued acquisitions by public collections, including the National Gallery of Australia. Though her visibility diminished in her later years, Montgomery’s contributions as an artist and member of the exclusive Bell circle are now celebrated for their enduring impact on Australian art.

To read a more in-depth biography of the artist, click here.