Arthur Baker–Clack (10 January 1877 – 1955) was an Australian-born painter in the

impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

school. He was at the

art colony Art colonies are organic congregations of artists in towns, villages and rural areas, who are often drawn to areas of natural beauty, the prior existence of other artists, art schools there, or a lower cost of living. They are typically mission ...

Étaples Étaples or Étaples-sur-Mer (; or ; formerly ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, northern France. It is a fishing and leisure port on the Canche river. History Étapl ...

, Pas-de-Calais,

Nord-Pas-de-Calais Nord-Pas-de-Calais (; ; West Flemish: ''Nôord-Nauw van Kales'') was a former regions of France, administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new Regions of France, region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the ...

, France from 1910, and continued to live in the region during World War I and after.

Early life and education

Arthur Baker Clack was born at Booleroo in South Australia on 10 January 1877. He studied art at James Ashton's Art Academy, in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

and at Way College,

Wayville, South Australia Wayville is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Unley. It is most notable for hosting of the Royal Adelaide Show at the Adelaide Showgrounds. The suburb is bordered to the north by Adelaide's South Parklands, to the west by Ade ...

(1899–1900). He also trained in London and Paris and with

Rupert Bunny Rupert Charles Wulsten Bunny (29 September 186425 May 1947) was an Australian painter. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, he achieved success and critical acclaim as an expatriate in ''fin-de-siècle'' Paris. He gained an honourable mention ...

at Étaples.

Career

Baker-Clack was a tutor at Conmurra Station,

Kingston SE, South Australia Kingston SE (Kingston South East to distinguish it from Kingston on Murray), formerly Kingston, is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's south-east coastline on the shores of Lacepede Bay. It is located abou ...

. He worked as a journalist at ''

The Register ''The Register'' (often also called El Reg) is a British Technology journalism, technology news website co-founded in 1994 by Mike Magee (journalist), Mike Magee and John Lettice. The online newspaper's Nameplate_(publishing), masthead Logo, s ...

'' before moving to the ''Perth Morning Herald'' covering the Western Australian goldfields. He exhibited in Paris, London and Australia and was a jury member for the Salon d'Automne and of the

Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA; ; ) was the term under which two groups of French artists united, the first for some exhibitions in the early 1860s, the second since 1890 for annual exhibitions. 1862 Established in 1862 by the painter a ...

. He was also chairman of the Folkestone Art Society. Baker-Clack Boatyard

Personal

He lived in Étaples with his wife, Edith, however their house was destroyed during World War I. After the war they built a residence at Etaples, 'Bendlebi'. Edith had been his nurse during a period of illness. Baker-Clack died at

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...

, England in 1955.

References

1877 births 1955 deaths Australian Impressionist painters Australian expatriates in France {{australia-painter-stub