B. 1877-1968

Sir Hans Heysen is one Australia's most celebrated landscape painters, renowned for his monumental depictions of the Australian bush and eucalyptus trees. Born in Germany, Heysen migrated with his family to Adelaide, South Australia, where he later developed a lifelong engagement with the Australian landscape.

Heysen studied in Europe at the Académie Julian, Académie Colarossi, and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, before returning to Australia. His first major solo exhibition was held in 1908 at Guild Hall in Melbourne, establishing his reputation as a leading painter of the Australian landscape.

The most recognisable symbol in Heysen’s works is that of the eucalyptus, or gum tree. As former Head of Australian Art at the National Gallery of Australia Anne Gray has observed, “Heysen ‘humanised’ his trees into dramatic self-conscious poses, imbuing them with qualities of endurance, resilience and grandeur.” Through Heysen’s works, the protagonist of the ‘gum tree’ was solidified as an enduring symbol of national identity.

Heysen is held in the collections of all major Australian galleries. He won the Wynne Prize for landscape nine times between 1904 and 1932, and in 1940 was appointed to the Board of the Art Gallery of South Australia, where he served a record 28 years until his death.  Along with his daughter Nora Heysen, the first female artist to win the Archibald Prize, Hans Heysen is amongst Australia’s most significant and influential artists.

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