Drysdale, Sir Russell (1912-1981), an Australian painter, became known for his outback landscapes. But his depictions of still life, interiors, and studies of nudes are equally impressive.
George Russell Drysdale was born on Feb. 12, 1912, in Bognor Regis, England and moved to Australia with his family in 1923, settling in Melbourne. After leaving Geelong Grammar School, he became a jackeroo (cowhand) and later managed his parents’ Riverina property. Drysdale studied with George Bell, an Australian painter, critic, and teacher, from 1935 to 1938 and again in 1939 and 1940. Bell helped Drysdale develop his natural aptitude for drawing.
Drysdale studied in London and Paris in 1938 and 1939. He was rejected for war service because he was blind in one eye. During the early 1940’s, he began to produce a series of drawings and paintings on the themes of the drought, isolation, and devastation in Australia’s outback country in the spirit of such wartime British artists as Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, and John Piper. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Drysdale made many trips to the Australian interior. These trips inspired many of the artist’s best drawings. He also took up color photography on a journey in 1955. His photographs were first exhibited in 1987, after his death, and won widespread praise. Drysdale was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1969. He died on June 29, 1981.
