B. 1874 – 1943

Born in Benalla, Mattew James MacNally (better known as M. J. MacNally) was an esteemed watercolourist, art teacher and critic. She intended to become an architect, but due to family circumstances, began his working life in insurance. After moving to Sydney in the mid-1890s, he became captivated by the art world and took up drawing classes, coming to move in the same circles as Tom Roberts. 

He returned to Melbourne for a year to study under Frederick McCubbin at the National Gallery School. In 1918, MacNally was appointed as the Victorian representative on the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board and in the 1920s, joined the Australian Watercolour Institute. Alongside a career as an art critic, MacNally produced watercolours of beach scenes, grand Sydney houses during the Depression and landscapes. His work is represented in public collections including the Art Gallery of New South Wales and National Gallery of Australia. 

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