B. 1868 – 1909

Charles Conder, while a key founder of the Heidelberg School, was an international artist. He attended Art Society School drawing classes in Sydney and befriended Tom Roberts, whose studies at the Royal Academy in London had exposed him to the impressionism of James Whistler. Alongside Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Frederick McCubbin, Conder too pursued impressionism, contributing to the iconic 1889 9 by 5 impressionist exhibition. 

In 1890, Conder departed Australia for Europe where he would spend the remainder of his life between London and Paris. In Paris he became a legendary figure of the fin de siècle, mixing with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley. By the mid-1890s, Conder was experimenting with art nouveau, widening his practice to include book illustration and decorative painting on silk. 

As an impressionist, Conder’s work embraced plein-airism. He was sensitive to the movement of time, nature and light, returning throughout his life to the poetry of the landscape whether in France, England or Australia. Represented across public collections, Conder’s delicate visual world remains a touchstone in the history of Australian art. 

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