B. 1911 – 2003

Jean Appleton was a distinguished painter, printmaker and educator. Known for her tightly composed still lifes and interiors, Appleton became an influential teacher at Sydney’s Julian Ashton School and East Sydney Technical College. Her dedication to modern art led her to travel to England and Europe in the 1930s, where she sought to learn from the cubists and modernist painters.

Studying under Mark Gertler and Bernard Meninsky at the avant-garde Westminster School, Appleton created some of Australia's earliest cubist works, including ‘Still Life’ and ‘Painting IX’ (1937). Her first solo exhibition was held at Sydney's Macquarie Galleries in 1940, where she formed lasting friendships with fellow artists Grace Cossington Smith and Thea Proctor.

Appleton’s work evolved over the decades, transitioning from detailed still-life paintings of flowers and fruit to abstract compositions inspired by natural forms such as rivers and rocks. Influenced by Paul Cézanne, her style became increasingly experimental in the 1950s. In 1965, she won the inaugural Portia Geach Memorial Award with her self-portrait, now held in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.

Despite her significant contribution to Australian art, recognition of Appleton’s work came late in life. It was not until she was in her eighties that a public gallery presented a retrospective exhibition of her art. Today, her works are represented in major state and regional collections across Australia. 

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