B. 1879-1965

Bessie Davidson was an early 20th century Australian painter, best known for her impressionistic, light-filled interior scenes. Born in Northern Adelaide, she studied under prolific Australian painter and printmaker Margaret Preston in 1899. At the age of 22, Davidson exhibited with the South Australian Society of Arts, and continued to do so regularly throughout her career. After her mother’s death in 1904, she moved to Europe with Preston and studied at the Kunstlerinner Verein in Munich, one of the oldest art associations in Germany. The following year, Davidson moved to Paris. 

Moving to France ignited her passion and admiration for the French Impressionist movement, with Pierre Bonnard and Paul Cezanne as main sources of inspiration for Davidson. In 1906, she had works shown at the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris and later became a founding member of the Salon des Tuileries, an annual art exhibition for painting and sculpture between 1923 and the mid 1950s. Davidson remained in France during World War II and continued to paint whilst staying with friends in Grenoble. After the war, she lived in Paris where she spent the rest of her life, only returning to Adelaide once in 1950.

Davidson’s discography includes still lifes, landscapes and portraits, and she is renowned for her strong command of light in her landscapes and interiors. Her soft utilisation of colour creates deeply atmospheric works that invite the viewer into the scene. Throughout her career, she exhibited internationally including New York, Venice and London.

Davidson died in 1965 in Paris at the age of 85. Her works are held in collections of several state galleries including The Art Gallery of South Australia, The National Gallery of Victoria, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the National Gallery of Australia. 

For a more in-depth biography of this artist, click here.