B. 1916 – 1997 

Freda Robertshaw was an Australian painter of neoclassical figures and landscapes. She studied at the East Sydney Technical College, deciding to compete for the New South Wales Travelling Scholarship. Requiring a figurative entry, she became the partner and apprentice of conservative artist Charles Meere, in turn adopting his neoclassical style. 

While Robertshaw shifted towards moody landscapes and more modernist ideas, she applied for the NSW Travelling Scholarship one final time (of three) in 1944. Her submission was ‘Standing Nude (Self-Portrait)’, an impressive self-portrait of Robertshaw standing nude before the viewer. It represents the first fully nude self-portrait by a female Australian artist and Robershaw’s last figurative work, symbolic of her break from Meere. 

Between radicalism and conservatism, feminism and tradition, Robertshaw holds an important place in Australian art history. She is represented across public collections including at the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

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