Background
Heysen was born in Hahndorf, the fourth child of South Australian landscape painter Sir Hans Heysen.
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Nora Heysen
Edit ProfileEducation
She studied art from 1926 to 1930, at the School of Fine Arts in Adelaide, under F. Millward Grey and sold paintings to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Art Gallery of South Australia in 1930.
Career
She was raised at The Cedars in Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. From 1930 to 1933, she continued to study two days a week at the School, and worked in her own studio the rest of the time. Her first solo exhibition was held in Sydney in 1933.
In 1934 she travelled to London with her family, remaining in Europe, after they returned home, until 1937 studying and painting.
When she returned to Australia she returned briefly to Adelaide and then moved to Sydney. In 1938 she entered two portraits in the Archibald Prize.
On 12 October 1943 she became the first women to be appointed as an Australian war artist at the rank of captain. "I was commissioned to depict the women"s war effort.
There was that restriction on what I did.
So I was lent around to all the services, the air force, the navy and the army, to depict the women working at everything they did during the war". During her service Heysen completed over 170 works of art and was discharged from service in 1946 in New Guinea. While in New Guinea Nora met Doctor Robert Black, whom she would marry in 1953.
Following her discharge from war service she went to London, returning to Sydney in 1948.
Achievements
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Born
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Died
December 30, 2003 (aged 92) -
Nationality
Australia
Awards
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Archibald Prize Archibald Prize; Order of Australia; the Australia Council's Award; Member of the Order of Australia 1933: Melrose Prize for Portraiture 1938: Archibald Prize 1993: Australia Council Award for Achievement in the Arts 1998: Order of Australia (AM) The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service.; The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia.Archibald Prize Archibald Prize; Order of Australia; the Australia Council's Award; Member of the Order of Australia 1933: Melrose Prize for Portraiture 1938: Archibald Prize 1993: Australia Council Award for Achievement in the Arts 1998: Order of Australia (AM) The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service.; The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia.