John Christie Wright (22 August 1889 – 2 May 1917), generally referred to as J. Christie Wright, was a Scottish-born Australian sculptor.
Early life and education
John Christie Wright's birth record indicates that he was born in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
on 9 August 1889 to Margaret Wright (née Christie) and Moses Simpson Wright. The death record for Moses Wright shows he died when John was just 6 months of age. It is believed that Margaret Wright returned to her original place of residence at "Waulkmill", Rothiemay, Banffshire, Scotland sometime after John completed his education.
Wright was educated in Aberdeen at Robert Gordon's Technical College (now known as
Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College is a co-educational private school for day pupils in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery through to S6.
History Background
Robert Gordon, an Aberdeen merchant, made his fortune in 18th cent ...
), and then the
Grays School of Art from 1907 to 1911, where he studied painting and sculpture under William Banbury and Harold T. Hughes, during which time he won the £50 Byrne scholarship.
The Robert Gordon's College and Gray's School of Art Central Institution General Register (Session 1904–1905) indicates that in the First Year Lithographers'& Engravers' Course he was an exceptional student, achieving a 1st Grade in Drawing with marks of 97 (Examination); 96 (Laboratory Work), and; 99 (Class & Oral Work).
He was later awarded the Scottish national diploma in sculpture by Sir
George Frampton
Sir George James Frampton, (18 June 1860 – 21 May 1928) was a British sculptor. He was a leading member of the New Sculpture movement in his early career when he created sculptures with elements of Art Nouveau and Symbolism, often combinin ...
, (the only one won that year). He studied modelling and architecture under
Beresford Pite at the
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...
in London.
[McCulloch, Alan ''Encyclopedia of Australian Art'' Hutchinson of London 1968 ]
Career in Australia
Wright emigrated to Australia, arriving in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
in May 1912, and was appointed the first lecturer in art at the Teachers' College of
Sydney University
The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
.
[
He created a large-scale model of Sydney's new Zoological Gardens, and was then engaged by G. H. Godsell of the architectural firm Robertson and Marks to create reliefs for the facade of the '']Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...
'' (now known as The Trust Building, located at 72-72A Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Castlereagh Street is a major street located in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs north-to-south, in a one way direction only.
Description
Castlereagh Street's northern terminus is at the junc ...
) and that of the Perpetual Trustee Company Building
Perpetual Trustee Company Building is a heritage-listed office building at 33–39 Hunter Street, in the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Robertson ...
, located on Hunter Street, Sydney. The Telegraph works were the bronzes ''Commerce'' and ''Knowledge and the fine Arts'' and stone figures ''Justice'' and ''Truth''. The statue ''Perpetuity'' for the Perpetual Trustee Company won for him the Wynne Prize
The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. As one of Australia's longest-running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne. Now held concurrently with the Sir John Sulman Prize ...
in 1915 (an annual Australian prize for "the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours or for the best example of figure sculpture by Australian artists completed during the 12 months preceding the losingdate").
He designed medals for the (Sydney) Society of Artists to commemorate the landing of Australian troops at Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east.
Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
on 23 April 1915.
He was appointed Principal of the Adelaide School of Art (previously School of Design) in February 1916, at the age of 26, following the retirement and death of H. P. Gill, and set about reorganising it as the South Australian School of Arts and Crafts
The South Australian School of Art, originally the South Australian School of Design, is now part Faculty (division), school the University of South Australia. it is part of UniSA Creative, which includes the disciplines of architecture and pla ...
. He enlisted on 13 April 1916 and was temporarily replaced by Fred C. Britton. The selection committee was aware of his enlistment but felt this should not disqualify him from appointment.
Death and legacy
He served in World War I with the Australian Imperial Forces, and as Lieutenant Wright was killed in action in France in 1917. He is commemorated at the Australian National Memorial near the Village of Villers-Bretonneaux, which lies east of Amiens.Crawford Vaughan
Crawford Vaughan (14 July 1874 – 15 December 1947) was an Australian politician, and the Premier of South Australia from 1915 to 1917. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1905 to 1918, representing Torrens (190 ...
, said:
The news of the death of Lieutenant Wright, principal of the Adelaide School of Art, came as a great blow to me. Lieutenant Wright was a young man of high attainments and of brilliant promise. He was selected by the Government for the post of principal of the School of Art after he had actually enlisted, but he was able to devote a few weeks before he left for the front to reorganising his department. In that brief time he displayed excellent capabilities as a teacher and as an organiser. As a sculptor he attained high distinction, and his figures which cap the 'Sydney Daily Telegraph' building are a particularly fine artistic achievement, both in conception and execution. He was a man who could ill be spared, but, having heard the cry and call of duty, he went forth to fight for the liberty of others.
A memorial prize, believed to have been donated by Gertrude Halley in his name, awarded annually to a student at the South Australian School of Arts, known as the John Christie Wright Memorial Prize for Life Drawing and Painting.
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References
His Army record may be viewed her
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, John Christie
1889 births
1917 deaths
Artists from Aberdeen
People educated at Robert Gordon's College
Alumni of Gray's School of Art
Artists from Melbourne
Australian military personnel killed in World War I
British emigrants to Australia
Wynne Prize winners
20th-century Australian sculptors