B. 1865 - 1915

E. (Emanuel) Phillips Fox was an internationally recognised Australian painter best known for his vibrant and atmospheric landscapes of Australia and France. Born in Melbourne in 1865, Fox was one of the most prolific and influential Australian impressionist painters during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to his landscape practice, he also is known for his his portraiture, paintings which often focus on intimate portrayals of the mundane.

Fox enrolled in the National Gallery School in Melbourne in 1878, where he qualified as a drawing teacher and taught at several design schools across Melbourne and Gippsland. Later in 1887, Fox left for Paris and was admitted into the Ecole des Beaux-Arts where he received rigorous academic training from prolific French painter Jean-Leon Gerome. 

Returning to Melbourne in 1892, Fox continued to paint and send his paintings to Paris for exhibitions in the Old and New Salons. Winning a gold medal at the Old Salon in 1894, Fox became the first Australian-born artist to receive one and consequently affirmed himself as a figurehead of Australian impressionism.

Fox died prematurely of cancer at the age of 50. His works are held in collections across Australia and abroad, including at the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. 

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