William Strutt

1825 - 1915 English

Dokumentierte australische Geschichte künstlerisch

William Strutt war ein englischer Künstler. Strutt wurde in Teignmouth, Devon, England, geboren und stammte aus einer Künstlerfamilie; sein Großvater, Joseph Strutt, war ein bekannter Autor und Künstler, und sein Vater, William Thomas Strutt, war ein guter Miniaturmaler. William Strutt verbrachte sein Studentenleben in Paris, Frankreich, und in England, wo er Figuren- und Historienmalerei studierte. Als Reaktion auf einen nahezu zusammengebrochenen Gesundheitszustand und Augenprobleme beschloss Strutt, Australien zu besuchen, und kam am 5. Juli 1850 an Bord der Culloden an, wo er anschließend heiratete. In Melbourne, Strutt found employment as an illustrator on the short-lived Illustrated Australian Magazine, published by Thomas Ham, as there was little demand for the figurative and history paintings for which he was trained. Some of his designs did, however, lead to commissions, including a design for a new postage stamp, and an Anti-Transportation League card. Despite the lack of interest for major history paintings in Melbourne, Strutt continued to sketch suitable subjects, including the ‘Black Thursday’ bushfires, which swept over the colony on 6 February 1851. It was from these sketches that Strutt composed one of his most notable paintings some 10 years later, Black Thursday, 6 February. 1851, 1864, which depicted animals and men fleeing from the fire. William Strutt starb am 3. Januar 1915 in Wadhurst, Sussex, England.