B. 1910 – 1987

Dorothy Thornhill was born in Sale, England, immigrating first to New Zealand and then to Sydney, Australia, in the late 1920s. Here, she attended the National Art School, studying under Frederick Britton and Douglas Dundas whom she would later marry. In 1933 Thornill returned to England to study at the Royal Academy before returning to Sydney the following year to take up a teaching position at the National Art School, a position she held for almost forty years. 

Thornill was a successful artist, featuring in two solo exhibitions at Macquarie Galleries and a retrospective in 1977. Described by her former student Brian Dunlop as among the finest artists ever produced by Australia, Thornill’s work evaded formula and cliche, pivoting around landscapes, sumptuous florals and bold figures reminiscent of European artist Tamara de Lempicka. Thornhill’s work can be found across public collections including the National Gallery of Victoria and National Gallery of Australia. 

To read a more in-depth biography of the artist, click here; to listen to James Gleeson’s 1978 interview with Thornhill, click here.