(1901–1984)

Born in Melbourne in 1901, Peggy Crombie was a notable figure in Australian modernism, exhibiting paintings and linocuts with a number of the city’s modernist art groups such as the Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors, the Victorian Artists Society, and the New Melbourne Art Club.

Beginning her artistic studies at Stott’s Commercial Art Training Institute in 1921, Crombie continued at the National Gallery Art School from 1922 to 1928, studying under prominent Melbourne artists including George Bell, Bernard Hall, and William McInnes. Following the modernist traditions of her teachers, Crombie worked primarily as a painter and printmaker. Her oeuvre is characterised by bold, expressive brushwork, vivid and striking colour, and a confident, gestural approach. Frequently depicting still lifes and portraits, her works convey immediacy and emotional depth—qualities that have become hallmarks of her distinctive style.

She exhibited her work widely throughout her career, contributing to the development of modernist art in Australia. Her paintings have been featured in various exhibitions and are held in private collections and public collections  including the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Crombie has left an enduring legacy of distinctive and emotive works that continue to be appreciated by art enthusiasts and collectors.

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