Margaret Rose Preston
Margaret Rose Preston (29th April, 1875 - 28 May, 1963) was born in Port Adelaide, she was the eldest daughter of David McPherson, who was a Scottish marine engineer, and his wife Prudence Cleverdon. Margaret was generally referred to as her middle name “Rose” until she went by her middle name in her mid 30’s when she began to go by her first name Margaret.
She was educated at Fort Street Girl's High school for two years until 1885 when her family moved to Sydney, seeking better opportunities. Two years later at the age of twelve her interest in art began, first through china painting, and then through private art classes with William Lister Lister.
Written in the third person, Preston retold her experience which first gave her the idea of being an artist Art Gallery of New South Wales, aged twelve, with her mother. "I remember quite well my excitement on going through the turnstile to be let at large in a big, quiet, nice smelling place with a lot of pictures hanging on the walls and here and there students sitting on high stools copying at easels. My first impression was not of the beauty of wonder of the pictures, but how nice it must be to sit on a high stool with people giving you ‘looks’ as they went by. This visit led me to the decision to be an artist."
From her Original training with William Lister Lister, Margaret Preston went on to study at the prestigious National Gallery of Victoria Art School in 1889, under Frederick McCubbin, where she studied until 1894. However her training was interrupted when her father fell deadly ill, she was forced to move back to Adelaide to spend time with her family. After her father died in early 1896, preston moved back to Victoria to continue with her training.
Her Talents were observed throughout her training. She won Various Drawing awards including the Prestigious Still Life scholarship in 1897. she furthered her studies in 1898 she furthered her studies at Adelaide's School of Design under the instruction of H. P. Gill and Heyns Heyson.
Margaret Preston taught through various times through out her career, she was an influential instructor. Preston began privately teaching students while still at the Adelaide School of Design. She established her own teaching studio in the city in 1899. It offered her financial independence, which was very important to her artistic development, she also helped support her family. She later taught at St peters College. Adelaide and Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Adelaide.
Margaret Preston's first visit to Europe in 1904, her studies in Munich and Paris, had little impact on the naturalism that dominated her work from this early period. Only after returning to Paris eight years later, Preston recognized the decorative possibilities of art.
With the outbreak of the First World War Preston travelled to England, where she exhibited at the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club and the Society of Women Artists. Two years later, in 1916, she enrolled at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts as a student of pottery, at the same time developing her interest in fabric printing and dyeing, basket weaving and the various techniques of printmaking.
It was with her students that Preston returned to study in Europe and later the United Kingdom, throughout her early thirties and into her early forties. During her time in Europe, Preston was greatly-influenced by European modernism, the French Post-Impressionists such as Matisse and Cezanne, as well as the Cubist style of Picasso. Strangely enough, it was also in Europe that she would be influenced by Japanese art.
In 1919 she moved to Mosman after marrying the wealthy manager of Dalton Brothers Ltd, William George Preston. Preston lied about her age on her marriage certificate stating she was eight years younger than she actually was. In what now seems a strategic plan, having appeared to be two years younger than her husband. Her marriage to the wealthy business person gave Preston the financial security to concentrate on her art. It also provided her with the opportunity, which she would normally not have had, to have her work so widely promoted in Australia, particularly by Sydney Ure Smith's Art in Australia magazine. This is not to say that Preston's artwork did not rightfully earn its place in Australian history. On the contrary, during the 1920s and 1930s Preston's artworks really began to 'come of age,' being shown in an exhibition in 1925.
Still-life subjects were also popular for Preston, who chose to focus on native Australian flora and fauna. Aboriginal art influence became evident in Preston's pieces from the 1920s onwards. It would come to have a significant influence on Preston's work, especially after she moved to their home in the upper Hawkesbury River area of Berowra in 1932. In an unusual combination, Preston also began reading the works of Chinese landscape painters, which resulted in her using the ancient Chinese technique of stenciling. A total of 29 of these prints were featured in an exhibition which Preston held in 1953, showcasing the art of stenciling in conjunction with the traditional styles of Aboriginal iconography.
Even during her later years, Preston travelled the world extensively with her husband. After returning to Mosman, although she was in her seventies, Preston continued to work with the same enthusiasm and creativity of her early days.
In 1963, Preston died at the age of 88. She left behind more than 400 prints and a legacy that forever changed the future of Australian art.
She was educated at Fort Street Girl's High school for two years until 1885 when her family moved to Sydney, seeking better opportunities. Two years later at the age of twelve her interest in art began, first through china painting, and then through private art classes with William Lister Lister.
Written in the third person, Preston retold her experience which first gave her the idea of being an artist Art Gallery of New South Wales, aged twelve, with her mother. "I remember quite well my excitement on going through the turnstile to be let at large in a big, quiet, nice smelling place with a lot of pictures hanging on the walls and here and there students sitting on high stools copying at easels. My first impression was not of the beauty of wonder of the pictures, but how nice it must be to sit on a high stool with people giving you ‘looks’ as they went by. This visit led me to the decision to be an artist."
From her Original training with William Lister Lister, Margaret Preston went on to study at the prestigious National Gallery of Victoria Art School in 1889, under Frederick McCubbin, where she studied until 1894. However her training was interrupted when her father fell deadly ill, she was forced to move back to Adelaide to spend time with her family. After her father died in early 1896, preston moved back to Victoria to continue with her training.
Her Talents were observed throughout her training. She won Various Drawing awards including the Prestigious Still Life scholarship in 1897. she furthered her studies in 1898 she furthered her studies at Adelaide's School of Design under the instruction of H. P. Gill and Heyns Heyson.
Margaret Preston taught through various times through out her career, she was an influential instructor. Preston began privately teaching students while still at the Adelaide School of Design. She established her own teaching studio in the city in 1899. It offered her financial independence, which was very important to her artistic development, she also helped support her family. She later taught at St peters College. Adelaide and Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Adelaide.
Margaret Preston's first visit to Europe in 1904, her studies in Munich and Paris, had little impact on the naturalism that dominated her work from this early period. Only after returning to Paris eight years later, Preston recognized the decorative possibilities of art.
With the outbreak of the First World War Preston travelled to England, where she exhibited at the Royal Academy, the New English Art Club and the Society of Women Artists. Two years later, in 1916, she enrolled at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts as a student of pottery, at the same time developing her interest in fabric printing and dyeing, basket weaving and the various techniques of printmaking.
It was with her students that Preston returned to study in Europe and later the United Kingdom, throughout her early thirties and into her early forties. During her time in Europe, Preston was greatly-influenced by European modernism, the French Post-Impressionists such as Matisse and Cezanne, as well as the Cubist style of Picasso. Strangely enough, it was also in Europe that she would be influenced by Japanese art.
In 1919 she moved to Mosman after marrying the wealthy manager of Dalton Brothers Ltd, William George Preston. Preston lied about her age on her marriage certificate stating she was eight years younger than she actually was. In what now seems a strategic plan, having appeared to be two years younger than her husband. Her marriage to the wealthy business person gave Preston the financial security to concentrate on her art. It also provided her with the opportunity, which she would normally not have had, to have her work so widely promoted in Australia, particularly by Sydney Ure Smith's Art in Australia magazine. This is not to say that Preston's artwork did not rightfully earn its place in Australian history. On the contrary, during the 1920s and 1930s Preston's artworks really began to 'come of age,' being shown in an exhibition in 1925.
Still-life subjects were also popular for Preston, who chose to focus on native Australian flora and fauna. Aboriginal art influence became evident in Preston's pieces from the 1920s onwards. It would come to have a significant influence on Preston's work, especially after she moved to their home in the upper Hawkesbury River area of Berowra in 1932. In an unusual combination, Preston also began reading the works of Chinese landscape painters, which resulted in her using the ancient Chinese technique of stenciling. A total of 29 of these prints were featured in an exhibition which Preston held in 1953, showcasing the art of stenciling in conjunction with the traditional styles of Aboriginal iconography.
Even during her later years, Preston travelled the world extensively with her husband. After returning to Mosman, although she was in her seventies, Preston continued to work with the same enthusiasm and creativity of her early days.
In 1963, Preston died at the age of 88. She left behind more than 400 prints and a legacy that forever changed the future of Australian art.