B. 1858 – 1930

Born in Sydney, John Peter Russell emigrated to London in 1880 before moving again to Paris in 1884 where he found himself at the centre of Impressionism, learning from Claude Monet, mentoring Henri Matisse and befriending Auguste Rodin and Vincent Van Gogh. His friendship with Van Gogh was close and lifelong, reflected in a portrait of Van Gough by Russell that hangs at the Vincent Van Gogh museum. 

Despite his association with European Impressionism, Russell was little known until decades after his death. His cousin, the Sydney tastemaker and artist Thea Proctor, campaigned for his recognition and in 1978 the Art Gallery of New South Wales held a retrospective of his work. In 2018 another was held, fixing Russell in the consciousness of Australian art. 

Liberated in colour and line, Russell’s work stands alongside the icons of impressionism. He shared with Van Gogh a wildness, pursuing beauty in all its forms, romantic in temperament and style. Among the rare cohort of Australian artists whose notoriety is international, Russell is represented across national collections and internationally at the Musee Rodin, Paris, among others.

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