Untitled
Dublin Core
Title
Untitled
Subject
Still life
Description
Meeson’s watercolour still life employs a bright colour palette of blue, red, pink flowers with subtle green foliage and yellow accents. Since Meeson spent much of her adult life settled in England, it is likely this work was painted there with local flowers as reference. Each colour distinguishes the type of flower and builds the floral arrangement in ordered, visually pleasing layers. The work is finished with a yellow painted frame, catching the yellow accents in the centre of the painting and creating a sense of unity across the composition. As the complementary colour to the blue that dominates the work, Meeson’s choice of yellow frame appears to be a calculated one, enhancing the brilliance of both colours. With the added inclusion of red as the complementary colour to green, Meeson has taken deliberate steps to promote a balanced and harmonious composition.
Meeson was not enchanted by developments of abstraction in modern art and her work remained rooted to traditional representational ideas (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 133). She married fellow artist George James Coates in 1903 and they settled in England, joining the circle of Australian expatriate artists (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 108). This group was one of the first to gain recognition as artists representing Australia abroad, creating a precedent for young, aspiring Australian artists (Scott, 1992, p. 133). Meeson’s movement between Australia, New Zealand and Britain throughout her life affirms the fluid sense of national belonging pervasive at the time (Allen, 2013).
Meeson is best known for her scenes of the River Thames, placing her among only a handful of women artists who broached the male preserve of marine painting (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 64). Her landscapes made a bold statement, indicating not only that women could be physically present in such masculinised industrial settings, but women artists could represent such scenes with the same talent as their male counterparts (Scott, 1992, p. 65). Her work was exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon, leading to her election as the first Australian woman artist to become member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (Allen, 2013; Haese, 1981).
Though perhaps less groundbreaking than Meeson’s other works, the still life in the Visitors’ Book may be perceived as asserting ownership of the intrinsically female subject matter. Louise Hanson-Dyer’s support of Meeson is intuitive, as the pair represent two strong Australian women who carved their own place in the arts - despite the challenges of facing a male dominated landscape - and both found success as expatriates based in Europe.
References
Allen, 2013: Christopher Allen, ‘Heart of the River Thames captured by artist Dora Meeson’, The Australian, 2 November 2013.
Haese, 1981: Richard Haese, ‘Meeson, Dora (1869-1955)’ in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981. Accessed online 21 December 2017, URL: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/meeson-dora-6318.
Scott, 1992: Myra Scott, The art of George James Coates, 1869-1930 and Dora Meeson Coates, 1869-1955, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1992.
Meeson was not enchanted by developments of abstraction in modern art and her work remained rooted to traditional representational ideas (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 133). She married fellow artist George James Coates in 1903 and they settled in England, joining the circle of Australian expatriate artists (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 108). This group was one of the first to gain recognition as artists representing Australia abroad, creating a precedent for young, aspiring Australian artists (Scott, 1992, p. 133). Meeson’s movement between Australia, New Zealand and Britain throughout her life affirms the fluid sense of national belonging pervasive at the time (Allen, 2013).
Meeson is best known for her scenes of the River Thames, placing her among only a handful of women artists who broached the male preserve of marine painting (Haese, 1981; Scott, 1992, p. 64). Her landscapes made a bold statement, indicating not only that women could be physically present in such masculinised industrial settings, but women artists could represent such scenes with the same talent as their male counterparts (Scott, 1992, p. 65). Her work was exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Paris Salon, leading to her election as the first Australian woman artist to become member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (Allen, 2013; Haese, 1981).
Though perhaps less groundbreaking than Meeson’s other works, the still life in the Visitors’ Book may be perceived as asserting ownership of the intrinsically female subject matter. Louise Hanson-Dyer’s support of Meeson is intuitive, as the pair represent two strong Australian women who carved their own place in the arts - despite the challenges of facing a male dominated landscape - and both found success as expatriates based in Europe.
References
Allen, 2013: Christopher Allen, ‘Heart of the River Thames captured by artist Dora Meeson’, The Australian, 2 November 2013.
Haese, 1981: Richard Haese, ‘Meeson, Dora (1869-1955)’ in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981. Accessed online 21 December 2017, URL: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/meeson-dora-6318.
Scott, 1992: Myra Scott, The art of George James Coates, 1869-1930 and Dora Meeson Coates, 1869-1955, Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1992.
Creator
Dora Meeson (1869 - 1955)
Source
Book of autographs of visitors to Louise Hanson-Dyer, manuscript, The University of Melbourne
Date
1927
Contributor
Reetika Khanna
Format
Watercolour, 270 x 197 mm
Type
Image
Citation
Dora Meeson (1869 - 1955), “Untitled,” Special Collections and Grainger Museum, accessed April 25, 2024, https://spcgm.omeka.net/items/show/15.