Summary

Oil painting by Alice Chapman (1860-1929), titled 'Sitting In State'. The painting was exhibited in the 1888 Melbourne Centennial International Exhibition. Two other paintings by the same artist were also exhibited at the exhibition: 'Fruit' and 'Gretchen'. The three paintings were donated to the museum by the artist's grand-niece.

Alice Chapman was born in 1860 at Inglewood, and died in 1929. She studied art at the gallery in Melbourne and was a contemporary of members of the Heidelberg School. She painted a number of portraits of local government officials and other dignatories, and was a member of the Victorian Artists' Society. She was elected an Honorary Life Governor of the Bendigo Art Gallery in 1894. A contemporary newspaper reported that 'Miss Chapman's method of work is most sound, always as a preliminary step making charcoal and crayon studies of her subjects, and frequently smaller studies in colour of the intended picture. She paints freely, and with a firm touch, but ... she avoids the impressionist's hurried and merely suggestive style...'

Description of Content

Oil Painting by Alice Chapman, "Sitting in State"

Physical Description

Framed oil painting by Victorian artist Alice Chapman. The painting shows a young girl, facing the front, hands in her lap. Long light brown hair, cream long-sleeved dress, white apron, light blue sash. Brooch at the neck. Dark background with light focussed on the subject. Elaborate gold coloured frame, wide, leaf patterns in the corners.

More Information