BiographyWho is Margaret Preston? Margaret Preston was an Australian artist who specialised in printmaking and painting. She created a prodigious amount of works and was a leading example of early Australian modernism. Margaret incorporated artistic cultures from all over the world into her works. The subjects of her pieces ranged from colourful still life paintings of landscapes and native Australian wildlife prints to urban impressions of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Mosman area.
Life Outside of Art Margaret Rose Preston was born on the 29th of April, 1875. She was born in Port Adelaide to her parents David and Prudence Preston but moved to Sydney in 1885. She was referred to as 'Rose' until her mid 30s which is when she began to use her given name. Margaret went to school at Fort Street Girls School for two years, shortly after her move from Adelaide. In 1894 she returned to her family to spend time with her father as he was suffering from a critical illness and was admitted into a lunatic asylum where he died the following year. Margaret then resumed her studies. She got married in December 1919 to William George Preston and moved to live in Mosman. She later died on the 28th of may 1963 in Mosman. Art and CareerMargaret was first introduced to the art world at the age of twelve through China painting. In 1888, Margaret was living in sydney and began training with William Lister Lister by participating in private classes. Her budding interest in art continued to grow and later, in Melbourne 1893, Margaret was enrolled at the National Gallery's school of design under Frederick McCubbin. In 1896, she enrolled at the National Gallery's school of painting under Bernard Hall and with a painting, 'Still Life', won a year's free tuition. 5 years later after graduating, she opened her own teaching studio in Adelaide. She then traveled to Europe in 1904 to study for a further 3 years in Munich and Paris. She made a return trip in 1912, where she attended the post impressionist exhibition. Margaret moved to Mosman in 1920 with her husband which proved to be a dominant artistic development period. She became well known and her reputation became firmly established as one of Australia's leading modernists. The works she produced in the 1920s remain to be her best known artworks including colourful woodcut views of Sydney harbour, vases of Australian flowers, and multiple Australian animals. During her life she was a pioneer of art not only for Australia but also for women. At a time when art had previously been dominated by men in 1929, Margaret became the first woman to be commissioned to paint a self-portrait by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
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