B. 1872 – 1956

Estelle Mary (Jo) Sweatman was a founding member of the Twenty Melbourne Painters Society, a breakaway from the Max Meldrum School. She began her artistic career studying under Frederick McCubbin at the National Gallery School, before going on to teach at Melbourne Girls Grammar where Clarice Beckett was one of her pupils.

Sweatman experienced two transitions in her career. She was initially involved with the Victorian Artist Society but her support for Meldrum led her to be ousted alongside her friend A.M.E. Bale. She also started her career painting portraits – an interest that gave way to paintings of nature, inspired by her move to Warrandyte. Here she built her house, ‘The Kipsy’, next door to fellow artist Clara Southern.

Considered Australia’s most famous painter of wattle, Sweatman was a talented artist and active champion for the arts. Never married, in 1922 she was a finalist in the Archibald for her portrait of Bale; the same year, Bale was too a finalist for her portrait of Sweatman. 

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