Esther Paterson Gill (5 February 1892 8 August 1971) was an Australian artist, book-illustrator and cartoonist.

Early years

Paterson was born in

Carlton, Victoria Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, three kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district within the city of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census. ...

, the second child born to Scottish emigrants Hugh and Elizabeth Leslie (''née'' Deans) Paterson. She was the niece of eminent landscape painter

John Ford Paterson John Ford Paterson (1851, Dundee – 30 June 1912, Carlton, Victoria, Carlton), often referred to as Ford or J. Ford Paterson, was a Scottish-born Australian artist. He specialised in landscapes. Biography While still a teenager, he began his s ...

. Paterson grew up around artists, actors, and other creatives, and lived next door to Annie and

Frederick McCubbin Frederick McCubbin (25 February 1855 – 20 December 1917) was an Australian artist, art teacher and prominent member of the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian impressionism. Born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria, McCubb ...

. She began her education at Oberwly School, St. Kilda. At age thirteen, Paterson studied painting at the National Gallery of Victoria School from 1907 to 1912.

Career

Paterson was publishing her illustrations while still at school with work featured in ''The Woman'' in 1908 and cartoons appearing in the Sydney ''

Bulletin Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * ''Bulletin'' (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin De ...

'' throughout 1912. This led to regular appearances in Melbourne '' Punch,'' the '' Argus'', and other papers and journals. Her work saw her labelled by the ''

Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

'' as "Melbourne's Poster Girl." Her first book of sketches "Aussie Girls" was published in 1918 by Melbourne Publishing Company. It conveyed her ability to analyse the customs and values inherent in Melbourne society at the time. This was followed by her second book "'Me': a page from my diary" in 1919. Her talent in both illustration and poignant writings led to collaboration with writers

Ethel Turner Ethel Turner (24 January 1872 – 8 April 1958) was an English-born Australian novelist and children's literature writer. Life She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster in England. Her father died when she was two, leaving her mother Sarah ...

and

Mary Grant Bruce Mary Grant Bruce (born Minnie Grant Bruce, 24 May 1878 – 2 July 1958), was an Australian children's author and journalist. While all her thirty-seven books enjoyed popular success in Australia and overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, ...

, and acknowledgement from editors and publishers. Paterson had bylines as a freelance journalist with pictorial essays in publications such as '' Table Talk'', ''Home'', and the ''

Weekly Times ''The Herald and Weekly Times'' Pty Ltd (HWT) is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by News Pty Ltd, which as News Ltd, purchased the HWT in 1987. Newspapers The HWT's newspaper interests dat ...

''. Paterson nurtured the artistic talent of her younger sister Betty Paterson, who had trained as a musician at the Marshall Hall Conservatorium. Betty's drawings of babies and young children led to her also becoming a cartoonist for '' Punch'', and the sisters even exhibited their works together. An exhibition of pictures by Esther and Betty was opened in 1922 at the Queen's Hall by then Prime Minister of Australia

Billy Hughes William Morris Hughes (25 September 1862 – 28 October 1952) was an Australian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. He led the nation during World War I, and his influence on national politics s ...

. While the pictures were described as a "sometimes frivolous quality of humour", Esther was commended for her portraits of "Inez" and "The Purser." They were also active in helping charities during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, selling their pencil sketches at a fete in aid of Women Artists' National Service, held at

Ola Cohn Ola Cohn (born Carola Cohn; 25 April 1892 – 23 December 1964) was an Australian artist, author and philanthropist best known for her work in sculpture in a modernist style, and famous for her ''Fairies Tree'' in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbour ...

's East Melbourne studio. Her work as a published illustrator was to become more prolific upon her marriage to George Hermon Gill. Gill worked as a staff writer for the Melbourne ''Star,'' the ''Argus'', and the ''Herald'', with Esther illustrating many of his articles. Her portraits of soldiers both uniformed and civilian is shown at the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial (AWM) is a national war memorial, war museum, museum and archive dedicated to all Australians who died as a result of war, including peacekeeping duties. The AWM is located in Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, C ...

Canberra. The

National Gallery of Victoria The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as the NGV, is an art museum in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and list of most visited art museums in the world, most visited art mu ...

and

Geelong Art Gallery Geelong Gallery, formerly known as Geelong Art Gallery, is a major regional gallery in the city of Geelong in Victoria, Australia. The Gallery forms Geelong's Cultural Precinct, along with the adjacent Geelong Library and Heritage Centre (Geelo ...

also hold some of her work. Paterson posed in her wedding dress for the 1926

Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...

winning painting ''Silk and lace'' by

William Beckwith McInnes William Beckwith McInnes (18 May 1889 – 9 November 1939) was an Australian portrait painter, winner of the Archibald Prize seven times for his traditional style paintings. He was acting-director at the National Gallery of Victoria and an inst ...

, acquired by the

Art Gallery of New South Wales The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), founded as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872 and known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales between 1883 and 1958, is located in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It is the most import ...

Paterson was the longest serving female office bearer in the

Victorian Artists' Society The Victorian Artists Society, which can trace its establishment to 1856 in Melbourne, promotes artistic education, art classes and Art museum, gallery hire art gallery, exhibition in Australia. It was formed in March 1888 when the Victorian Acad ...

, and a significant presence within the

Melbourne Society of Women Painters and Sculptors Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung/ or ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most-populous city in Australia, after Sydney. The city's name generally refers to a metropolitan area also known as ...

. ''The Bulletin'' reviewing her 1931 exhibition at the Fine Art Galleries describes a "room devoted to Bulletin artist Esther Paterson...brightened by ''Battersea Park'' - here she has caught with considerable vividness a quick impression of sunlit grass with figures moving about on it. ''Afternoon, Essex,'' has something of the same evanescent quality."'''' She showed her portraits at the 40th annual exhibition of the Society in 1949 at Tye's Gallery, Bourke Street. Fellow artists exhibited included Florence Rodway, Ludmilla Meilerts, Violet McInnes, and Mabel Pye. In 1950 Paterson was awarded the honour of

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, London (FRSA), showing her reach went beyond Australia to be known in England.

Exhibitions

*1931, 3 November - 17 December: Group show with John Shirlow,

Allan Jordan Allan Holder Jordan (1898–1982) was an Australian painter, designer, printmaker and teacher. Early life Allan Jordon was born in 1898 in Elsternwick, Victoria, Elsternwick, the son of Sandhurst-born customs agent James Oliver Jordan and Maud ...

and

Charles Nuttall Charles Nuttall (born James Charles Nuttall; 6 September 1872 – 28 November 1934) was a prolific Australian artist, writer and radio broadcaster. He spent much of his working life in Melbourne, apart from a period in New York City from 1905 ...

. Fine Art Galleries, Melbourne'''' *1949, October: 40th annual exhibition of the Victorian Artists Society, Tye's Gallery, Bourke Street.

Selected works

Publications

*
Beauty in the making
, ''Weekly Times Annual,'' 4 November 1916 *
Many beaux to her string
, ''Weekly Times Annual,'' 2 November 1918
'Past and present'
''

,'' 27 December 1919
'The little Volga boy'
''

Herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms. Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen ...

,'' 7 October 1922
'How things do change'
''Midlands Advertiser,'' 4 January 1929
'Companions in arms'
(by J. A. Hetherington and D. H. Symmons), '' Table Talk,'' 10 July 1930
'The little voyagers'
(with Betty Paterson), ''

,'' 23 December 1933 * 'Barnacle Bill' series, ''

Australasian Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different contexts, ...

,'
9 July15 October22 October17 December
1938
'...Nor any drop to drink'
'' Argus,'' 17 February 1940
'The kiddies have a wonderful time in this kindergarten'
(illustrated by Betty Paterson), ''Argus,'' 29 May 1943 With Hermon Gill
'The Browns of Bangaroo'
''

,'' 28 August, 1937
'This pets business'
''

,'' 25 September 1937
'The show's grim moments'
''

'', 2 October 1937
'Brent's last case'
''

,'' 9 October 1937
'Bone studs and backbones'
''

,'' 18 December 1937
'It must be done - and yet -'
''

,'' 29 January 1938 With Ethel Turner * Nicola Silver (serial), ''

Australian Woman's Mirror ''The Australian Woman's Mirror'' was an Australian weekly women's magazine published by '' The Bulletin'' magazine in Sydney, between 1924 and 1961. History The first issue of the magazine was published on 25 November 1924 with the following ...

'' *
9 December 1924
*
16 December 1924
*
23 December 1924
*
30 December 1924
*
6 January 1925
*
13 January 1925
*
20 January 1925
*
27 January 1925
*
3 February 1925

Death and legacy

On 8 August 1971, Esther Paterson died at Middle Park and was cremated with Anglican rites. Her husband, George Hermon Gill, died two years later.

References

External links

*
Captain Cook's cottage
by Hermon Gill with drawings by Esther Paterson, ''

State Library Victoria State Library Victoria (SLV) is the state library of Victoria, Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was established in 1854 as the Melbourne Public Library, making it Australia's oldest public library and one of the first free libraries in th ...

''
Aussie girls
by Esther Paterson, ''

''
"Me" : a page from my diary
by Esther Paterson, ''

''
Wartime stew, slightly sweetened
by Leila Pirani with drawings by Esther Paterson, ''

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Paterson, Esther 1892 births 1971 deaths Artists from Melbourne 20th-century Australian women artists Australian people of Scottish descent People from Carlton, Victoria National Gallery of Victoria Art School alumni