B. 1918 – 1999

Member of the George Bell circle, Yvonne Atkinson was the daughter of poet and playwright Rupert Atkinson. Although her art teacher George Bell was prejudiced towards women, Atkinson represented one of his favourite students with her peer, Joan Yonge, recalling that she:

“She came in very elegantly – and always late. Bell would say indulgently, 'You wait until the world’s warmed up before you step out don’t you?'”

In the first half of her artist career, Atkinson primarily painted nudes and scenes of contemporary life. These works are infused with a subversive wit, epitomised by the painting ‘The George Bell Art Studio’ (1937) in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia. Her later subjects included Australian bushranging or rural life, reflective of her settlement in Townsville and then Castlemaine. Having exhibited during her lifetime at the Victorian Artist Society and the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Atkinson is represented at the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. 

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