Albert Namatjira

Albert Namatjira in front of the Government House in Sydney, 1947

Albert Namatjira (born July 28, 1902 in Hermannsburg , † August 8, 1959 in Alice Springs ) was an Australian painter and artist from the Arrernte tribe .

Life

In 1938 Namatjira had his first exhibition in Melbourne , the exhibits of which, like the following ones in Sydney and Adelaide, were soon sold out. The next 10 years of his work also increased his fame. Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Queen's Coronation Medal in 1953 and also met him personally in Canberra the following year .

He mainly painted landscapes and nature, but also tried wooden sculptures. When he got older, he wanted to build a house in Alice Springs. However, the purchase turned out to be difficult because he as Aboriginal , a ward was of the state, why not purchase real estate could. Due to its high popularity and after there had been many protests, he and his wife received full Australian civil rights in 1957 as the first natives of the Northern Territory and were able to buy the building plot.

When he died in 1959, he left about 2000 paintings.

His name is part of the lyrics in the popular Australian song I Am Australian , written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley ( The Seekers ).

literature

Hans-Otto Meißner: The fifth paradise - Australia: people, animals, adventure. Cotta, Stuttgart 1965 (further editions until 1983), chapter fame and ruin of Albert Namatjira .

Web links

Commons : Albert Namatjira - collection of images, videos and audio files

Seeing the Center: The Art of Albert Namatjira 1902–1959 , online and traveling exhibition (English)
Albert Namatjira in photographs in the National Library of Australia
Namatjiras landscapes in the National Gallery of Australia (English)

Individual evidence

↑ Thierry EHRMANN: Auctions in the category Sculpture Volume by Albert NAMATJIRA: Sold lots by Albert NAMATJIRA - Artprice.com. Retrieved November 1, 2018 .

personal data
SURNAME	Namatjira, Albert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Namatjira, Elea
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Australian artist
DATE OF BIRTH	July 28, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hermannsburg (Australia) , Australia
DATE OF DEATH	August 8, 1959
Place of death	Alice Springs , Australia

[1] Thierry EHRMANN: Auctions in the category Sculpture Volume by Albert NAMATJIRA: Sold lots by Albert NAMATJIRA - Artprice.com. Retrieved November 1, 2018 .