B. 1908-1997

Ludmilla Meilerts was a Melbourne-based artist whose paintings captured the character of Melbourne with a vibrant, atmospheric sensibility. Born in rural Latvia near the town of Baldone in 1908, Meilerts migrated to Australia in 1948, settling in Melbourne and quickly turning her attention to depicting the visual rhythms of her new environment. Between 1950 and 1954 she was a regular finalist in the prestigious Dunlop Prize, notably sharing fifth place with Fred Williams in 1950.

Meilerts is best known for her painted landscapes. Her works often animate familiar subjects such as Spring Street, Docklands, Williamstown and the Western District through painterly impressions of movement, colour and shifting light. In these paintings, Meilerts translates the everyday scenes of Melbourne into compositions alive with immediacy and atmosphere.

Meilerts’ work is represented in the National Gallery of Victoria and City of Melbourne Collection, and in 2014 she was the subject of a retrospective at the Castlemaine Museum of Art. Meilerts remains an important figure within the broader story of mid-century migrant artists in Australia, whose contributions enriched the visual culture of the period through fresh perspectives and cosmopolitan influences. 

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