Charles Conder

Charles Conder was a painter who worked in both Australia and Europe and helped shape early modern art in both. Born in England in 1868, he spent his youth in Australia, where he joined the Heidelberg School painters in capturing the light and heat of the bush and coast. His delicate, poetic scenes from these years are treasured in Australian art.

He later returned to Europe and became part of the bohemian art world of Paris and London, known for graceful, decorative works, including designs painted on silk fans. His health was fragile, and his career was relatively short. Conder is remembered for his lyrical, atmospheric touch and his role in the birth of Australian Impressionism.