Alfred Henry O'Keeffe

Alfred Henry O'Keeffe

Alfred Henry O'Keeffe (21 July 1858 - 27 July 1941), New Zealand artist and art teacher. O'Keeffe is noteworthy in New Zealand art history. During the first quarter of the twentieth century, he was one of the few New Zealand artists to engage with modernist ideas while actually remaining in New Zealand. At this time most advanced New Zealand artists, like Frances Hodgkins, were expatriates.

O'Keeffe was born in Sandhurst, Victoria, Australia in 1858. By c.1865 he and his family had moved to Dunedin, New Zealand. O'Keeffe studied at the Dunedin School of Art c.1882-86 and later at the Academie Julian in Paris in 1894-1895. He started exhibiting at the Otago Art Society in 1886, and he also exhibited with the Canterbury Society of Arts, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Auckland Society of Arts and Wanganui Society of Arts and Crafts.

The financial demands of providing for his wife and five children meant O'Keeffe could not always afford to work as a full time artist. Before going to Paris he managed the Liverpool Arms Hotel in Dunedin, and after his return from 1895-1905 he ran the Outram Hotel.

He also supplemented his income by teaching art. While living at Outram he took private classes in Dunedin, walking the 14 miles between the two. He taught at the Dunedin School of Art from 1912 until its temporary disestablishment in 1920. In the early 1920s he taught at the 'Barn Studio' with [http://mabelhill.net/ Mabel Hill.] Her [http://mabelhill.net/picture.jsp?number=1913-15 1913 portrait] of O'Keeffe is now in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

Four of O'Keeffe's five children predeceased him. His two sons Lawrence and Victor were both killed in 1915 at Gallipoli. This experience is commemorated in his most famous painting "The Defence Minister's Telegram" (1921, Dunedin Public Art Gallery), which shows an elderly man receiving news of his son's death. One of his daughters died in 1917 and another in 1939.

Scholarship on O'Keeffe

To date the three main resources on O'Keeffe are:
* Dr Roger Collins, 'O'Keeffe, Alfred Henry 1858 - 1941', in [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/ "Dictionary of New Zealand Biography"] , Volume Three (1901-1920), 1996
* Peter Entwisle, 'Alfred Henry O'Keeffe', in "William Mathew Hodgkins & His Circle", Dunedin, 1984
* Barry Cleavin, 'An appreciation of A. H. O'Keeffe, painter, 1858--1941'. DipFA thesis, Canterbury, 1966

[http://www.otago.ac.nz/arthistory/postgrads/index.html "Ralph Body"] is currently undertaking a Master of Arts in [http://www.otago.ac.nz/arthistory/index.html "Art History and Theory"] at the University of Otago focusing on O'Keeffe as an artist and teacher.

Images by Alfred Henry O'Keeffe on the Web
* [http://collection.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/advancedSearch.jsp Auckland Art Gallery]
* [http://www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz/GalleryOnline/index.asp?root=&node=&leaf= Christchurch Art Gallery]
* [http://www.fletchercollection.co.nz/item.php?id=552 Fletcher Collection]
* [http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/306 New Zealand War Art]
* [http://www.prints.co.nz/page/fine-art/PROD/Artists_OKeefe_AH/G15 The Defence Minister's Telegram (1921)]

References

* [http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp Biography at "Dictionary of New Zealand Biography"]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-PlaNine-t1-body-d1-d901.html Notes by Una Platts]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-PlaNine-t1-body-d1-d902.html Edmund P. O'Keefe, probably his father]
* [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-PlaNine-t1-body-d1-d903.html Stephen Thomas O'Keefe, probably his brother]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • O'Keeffe — For the American painter, see Georgia O Keeffe. For the American conservative filmmaker, see James O Keefe. O Keeffe and O Keefe, are the anglicised versions of the Irish Ó Caoimh, from Caomh, meaning kind or gentle . Ó also means son of so… …   Wikipedia

  • Stieglitz, Alfred — born Jan. 1, 1864, Hoboken, N.J., U.S. died July 13, 1946, New York, N.Y. U.S. photographer and exhibitor of modern art. He was taken to Europe by his wealthy family to further his education in 1881. In 1883 he abandoned engineering studies in… …   Universalium

  • Georgia O'Keeffe — Infobox Artist bgcolour = #6495ED name = Georgia O Keeffe imagesize = caption = Georgia O Keeffe in Abiquiu, New Mexico, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1950. birthname = birthdate = birth date|1887|11|15|mf=y location = Sun Prairie, Wisconsin… …   Wikipedia

  • July 21 — Events*356 BC Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. *285 Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co ruler. *1403 Battle of Shrewsbury: King Henry IV of England defeats rebels to the… …   Wikipedia

  • List of New Zealand artists — The following is a list of New Zealand artists.A* Laurence Aberhart photographer * Gretchen Albrecht painter * Rita Angus 20th C painter * Billy Apple 20th C painterB* Murray Ball cartoonist * William Bambridge 19th C artist * Charles Blomfield… …   Wikipedia

  • G. P. Nerli — Born February 12, 1860(1860 02 12) Siena, Italy Died June 24, 1926(1926 06 24) (aged 66) Nationality Italian …   Wikipedia

  • Académie Julian — The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. At the time, the government sanctioned art school of France …   Wikipedia

  • Mabel Hill — (3 March 1872 – 18 November 1956) was a New Zealand artist. She was born at Cox s Creek, Auckland, New Zealand, the youngest child of Charles Hill, a hatter, and his wife, Eliza Ann Hulbert. In 1875 the family including Mabel, her brother Alfred… …   Wikipedia

  • Dunedin Public Art Gallery — The Dunedin Public Art Gallery holds the main public art collection of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Located in The Octagon in the heart of the city, it is close to the city s public library, municipal chambers,(Dunedin Town Hall) and other… …   Wikipedia

  • July 27 — Events*1214 Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. *1549 Jesuit priest Francis Xavier s ship reached Japan. *1663 The British Parliament passes the second Navigation Act requiring that all goods bound for the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”