Background
Piguenit was born in Hobart, Tasmania, to Frederick Le Geyt Piguenit and Mary Ann née Igglesden. William’s first artistic influences came from his mother, who set up a school for young ladies where she taught "French, music and drawing".
Piguenit was born in Hobart, Tasmania, to Frederick Le Geyt Piguenit and Mary Ann née Igglesden. William’s first artistic influences came from his mother, who set up a school for young ladies where she taught "French, music and drawing".
Frederick had been transported to Van Diemen"s Land in 1830, with Frederick"s fiancee, Mary Ann, following him. In 1850 William became a draftsman with the Tasmanian Lands & Survey Department, working in particular on the Geological Survey of Tasmania. During this period of employment Piguenit provided lithographic illustrations for, The Salmon Ponds and vicinity, New Norfolk Tasmania (Hobart Town: Master of Laws Henn, ).
He took painting lessons from the Scottish painter Frank Dunnett but until he got a good price for a painting from Sir James Agnew, he had little success as a painter.
Piguenit left the public service in 1873 to devote his time more fully to painting and his oils and watercolours of Tasmanian landscapes soon brought favourable reviews. He was a participant in the venture to the western part of Tasmania - as found in the book Walk to the West.
After moving to NSW in Piguenit"s subjects included the Darling, Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers as well as the Lane Cove River close to his Hunters Hill home. lieutenant was also at this time that he became one of the founders of the Art Society of Later, during a visit to Tasmania he was noticed by the governor"s wife, Lady Hamilton and a large number of his drawings were purchased by the government for the Hobart gallery.
His Flood in the Darling was purchased for the National Gallery of (now ) in 1895.
In 1898 and he visited Europe, exhibiting at London and Paris. By the end of the century he was regarded as the leading Australian-born landscape painter. Piguenit died on 17 July 1914 and was buried in the Field of Mars cemetery.
Inscription on headstone (Field of Mars Cemetery: Chamber of East, Security C Grave 618): Indiana LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM CHARLES PIGUENIT DIED 17th JULY 1914.
AGED 77 YEARS. "UNTO THE UPRIGHT THERE ARISETH LIGHT Indiana THE DARKNESS" Mountain.