Violet Emma Vimpany (née Alomes, 15 April 1886 – 2 March 1979) was an Australian painter and

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

, and in later life also a master

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. Stonemasonry is the craft of shaping and arranging stones, often together with mortar and even the ancient lime mortar ...

. She was an active member of, and regular exhibitor with, the Art Society of Tasmania. Her work is held in the permanent collection of the

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is a museum located in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum was established in 1846, by the Royal Society of Tasmania, the oldest Royal Society outside England. The TMAG receives 400,000 visitors annually. ...

Early life and education

Vimpany was born in 1886 in Forcett, Tasmania, one of eight children (four girls and four boys) of Walter Alomes and Emma Jane Parker. She studied art at Hobart Technical College in 1928 and 1931 to 1932, under the tutelage of Belgian-born Australian artist, Lucien Dechaineux.

Career

During the 1930s Vimpany shared a studio at 76 Collins Street in Hobart with other women artists of the time, including Edith Holmes, Mildred Lovett, Ethel Nicholls, Florence Rodway, and Dorothy Stoner. It is presumed that during this time Holmes painted the artwork ''Portrait of Violet Vimpany'' (Masterpiece Fine Art Gallery Hobart). From 1936 to 1939, when in her fifties, Vimpany regularly traveled from Hobart to

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 ...

to study with Scottish-born Australian artist and art teacher,

Max Meldrum Duncan Max Meldrum (3 December 1875 – 6 June 1955) was a Scottish-born Australian artist and art teacher, best known as the founder of Australian tonalism, a representational painting style that became popular in Melbourne during the interwa ...

. Her work became highly regarded and was exhibited in the 1939 exhibition, International Women: Painter, Sculptors, Gravers, held at the Riverside Museum (now the Master Building) in Manhattan, New York. Vimpany was a council member of The Art Society of Tasmania from 1936 to 1952, and exhibited with them for over forty years (1932–1975). As a philanthropist and champion of women's rights, she was a member of the Hobart

Soroptimist Soroptimist International (SI) , founded in 1921, is a global volunteer service for women with almost 66,000 members in 118 countries worldwide. Soroptimist International also offers Associate Membership and E-Clubs. Soroptimist International h ...

Club (changing to the

International of Hobart in the 1970s) – an organisation which advocates for human rights, gender equality, and advancing the status of women. Her husband died suddenly from a heart attack in 1945, and at the age of 60, she took over his stonemasonry business. Mastering the skills of the masonry trade, she successfully ran the business for over twenty years. Selling the business in 1969, she retired definitively in 1973, and in that same year was named one of Tasmania's ‘Women of Achievement’. In 2019, she was listed as one of 156 "Women who shaped Australian art". She was honorary secretary of the National Council for Women from 1938 to 1940, elected president in 1945, and served as delegate for the NCW at UNRRA in 1945. Violet Vimpany died on 2 March 1979, aged 92. She is buried at the Forcett Lewisham Cemetery in Tasmania.

Major exhibitions

* 1939 – ''International Women: Painter, Sculptors, Gravers'', Riverside Museum (now the Master Building), New York * 1932–1975 – various exhibitions with the Art Society of Tasmania

Personal life

She married Amos William Vimpany, the foremost

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

, and also a former student of Hobart Technical College. They had two daughters, Violet (‘Vi’) and Gwendolene (‘Gwen’).

References

External links

Image of A. Vimpany Monumental Stonemason

Design & Art Australia Online

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vimpany, Violet 1886 births 1979 deaths 20th-century Australian artists Australian etchers Australian stonemasons Burials in Tasmania