Sophia Campbell

Sophia Campbell

Sophia Campbell nee Palmer (1777 – 5 May 1833) was an early Australian artist.

Campbell was born and educated in London. She came to Sydney with her brother John and his family, a second brother Christopher and their sister Sarah on board the Porpoise in November 1800.

They settled at Woolloomooloo Farm. Within a year, on 17 September 1801, Sophia married the merchant Robert Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian eight years her senior.

Sophia moved to Wharf House, Campbell’s home behind his wharves on the west side of Circular Quay. Apart from two trips to England (in 1805-06 and 1810-15) and shorter journeys to various parts of New South Wales, she lived in Sydney until her death.

Sophia Campbell, a highly gifted amateur artist, recorded daily life as seen from her house. She visited the Illawarra, Broken Bay and Newcastle and recorded the scenes she witnessed in watercolours and pencil sketches. Her watercolour of Newcastle shows Christ Church in 1818, as well as the washing on the line and the gardens of her neighbours.

Her detailed sketches of her surroundings in early Sydney and Newcastle can be viewed as typical examples of the art generally thought to be practised by colonial ladies. Art was an acceptable pastime pursued within a lifestyle perhaps offering limited diversions.

Two sketchbooks survive. One is still owned by Sophia’s descendants and held in a private collection. The other is owned by the National Library of Australia, Canberra. It was acquired around 1940 as part of the John Ferguson Collection which consists of over 34000 items. Sir John Ferguson had spent a lifetime collecting and describing library materials, with a particular concentration on Australiana.

Both of Sophia Campbell’s sketchbooks are filled with images dating from about 1816 to about 1820. She is thought to be the first woman known to have painted Australian scenes and people. Her sketches are entirely of public rather than private subjects. The watercolours of the Illawarra district are the earliest known views of the area then still outside of the boundaries of settlement.

Sophia Campbell died in 1833 and was buried in St John’s Cemetery, Parramatta.

References:

*Clifford Amandus Burmester, National Library of Australia. Guide to the Collections, Volume 1. National Library of Australia, Canberra 1974
*Joan Kerr, The Dictionary of Australian Artists, Painters, Sketchers, Photographers and Engravers to 1970. Oxford University Press Australia 1992 ISBN 0909798996

External links

* [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/picturescatalogue?action=PCSearch&mode=search&complete1=true&attribute1=Creator&term1=CAMPBELL%2C+SOPHIA%2C+1777-1833 Sophia Campbell's sketchbook] , containing 31 pencil, pen and ink, and watercolour drawings has been catalogued and digitised by the [http://www.nla.gov.au National Library of Australia]

Persondata
NAME = Campbell, Sophia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Palmer, Sophia
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Early Australian artist
DATE OF BIRTH = 1777
PLACE OF BIRTH = London
DATE OF DEATH = 5 May 1833
PLACE OF DEATH =


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sophia Aggelonitis — (né dans le centre ville de Toronto en Ontario) est une femme politique de la circonscription de Hamilton Mountain depuis le 30 octobre 2007 à l Assemblée législative de l Ontario. Elle est Ministre du Revenu de l Ontario depuis le 18 août …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Naomi Campbell (Skins character) — For the British supermodel, see: Naomi Campbell Naomi Campbell Skins character First appearance Everyone (episode 3.01) Last appearance Everyone (episode 4.08) Created by …   Wikipedia

  • Naomi Campbell (Skins) — Naomi Campbell Personnage de fiction apparaissant dans Skins Naomi Campbell …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Robert Campbell (Australian landowner) — Robert Campbell (28 April 1769 ndash; 15 April 1846) was Sydney s first merchant and a pioneering land owner.Campbell was born at Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland and moved to India as a young man. In India he and an older brother were partners in… …   Wikipedia

  • Sir Edward Campbell, 1st Baronet — Sir Edward Taswell Campbell, 1st Baronet JP MP (April 9, 1879 ndash; Bromley, Kent, July 17, 1945) was a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.AncestryHe was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Campbell (June 15, 1843 ndash;… …   Wikipedia

  • Archibald Campbell (notary) — Archibald Campbell (June 29 1790 ndash; July 16 1862) was a seigneur and notary in Lower Canada.Campbell was born in the town of Quebec in 1790, the son of merchant Archibald Campbell. He studied law with Jacques Voyer, qualified to practice as a …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Campbell (Australian politician) — Robert Campbell (5 October 1804 – 30 March 1859) was an early opponent of penal transportation and an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. He was the second son of Robert Campbell and born at… …   Wikipedia

  • John Saxton Campbell — (ca. 1787 ndash; April 25 1855) was a seigneur and businessman in Lower Canada.He was the son of Archibald Campbell and Charlotte Saxton and the older brother of notary Archibald Campbell. He is believed to have come to the town of Quebec at a… …   Wikipedia

  • William Henry Campbell — Infobox Person name = William Henry Campbell image size = caption = birth date = 1808 birth place = Baltimore, Maryland death date = 7 December 1890 death place = New Brunswick, New Jersey occupation = President of Rutgers University spouse =… …   Wikipedia

  • John William Campbell — For other persons of the same name, see John Campbell. Sir John William Campbell, 1st Baronet, CB was a Major General in the British Army who served in the Crimean campaign in 1855, in the China campaign in 1860 and in the Second Anglo Afghan War …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

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