George Washington Lambert | |
|---|---|
 George Washington Lambert, c.1925, by Harold Cazneaux | |
| Born | George Washington Lambert (1873-09-13)13 September 1873 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 29 May 1930(1930-05-29) (aged 56) Cobbitty,New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Julian Ashton Art School |
| Known for | Painting, drawing, sculpture |
| Notable work | Across the Black Soil Plains (1899) Anzac, the Landing 1915 (1922) The Squatter's Daughter (1924) Mrs Annie Murdoch (1927) |
| Children | Maurice Lambert,Constant Lambert |
George Washington Thomas LambertARA (13 September 1873 – 29 May 1930) was an Australian artist, known principally for portrait painting and as awar artist during theFirst World War.
Lambert was born inSt Petersburg, Russia, theposthumous son of George Washington Lambert (1833 – 25 July 1873, in London) ofBaltimore,Maryland. The younger Lambert's mother was Annie Matilda,née Firth, an Englishwoman. Mother and son soon moved to Württemberg, Germany, to be with Lambert's maternal grandfather. Lambert was educated at Kingston College, Yeovil, Somerset. The family, consisting of Lambert, his mother and three sisters, decided to emigrate to Australia. They arrived inSydney aboard theBengal on 20 January 1887.[1]
Lambert began exhibiting his pictures at the Art Society and the Society of Artists, Sydney in 1894. Lambert began contributing pen-and-ink cartoons forThe Bulletin in 1895 and began painting full-time in 1896.[1] Illustrations by Lambert formed part of the bush ballads of theFair girls and gray horses (1898) andHearts of gold (1903) anthologies of Scottish-Australian poetWill H. Ogilvie (1869–1963).
In 1899 he won theWynne Prize withAcross the Blacksoil Plains. He studied at theJulian Ashton Art School in Sydney until 1900. Later, he won a travelling scholarship for 150pounds from thegovernment of New South Wales. He spent a year in Paris before moving to London where he exhibited at theRoyal Academy. Lambert was awarded a silver medal at an international exhibition for his paintingThe Sonnet inBarcelona in 1911. He was most known during this time as a portrait artist.
Lambert became an official Australian war artist in 1917 during the First World War.[2] His paintingAnzac, the landing 1915 of thelandings on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey, is the largest painting at theAustralian War Memorial collection. Lambert, as an honorary captain, travelled to Gallipoli in 1919 to make sketches for the painting.[1] Another noted work wasA sergeant of the Light Horse (1920), painted in London after his travels in Palestine.[3]
During the war years, George Lambert spent much time in London, where it is suggested he was romantically involved with fellow artistThea Proctor.
Lambert returned to Australia in 1921, where he had success inMelbourne with a one-man show atFine Art Society gallery. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1922. He often visited the homestead of ColonelGranville Ryrie of theAustralian Light Horse atMichelago, New South Wales and there paintedThe Squatter's Daughter andMichelago Landscape.
In the second annualArchibald Prize in 1922, now Australia's most prestigious art prize for portraiture, Lambert's work was disqualified as he had not been a resident in Australia for twelve months.[4] He submitted a self-portrait for the third year, competing withWilliam Macleod who entered with the subject ofThe Bulletin cartoonist'Hop' Hopkins.[5] In 1927 he won theArchibald Prize withMrs Annie Murdoch, a portrait of the mother ofKeith Murdoch and grandmother ofRupert Murdoch.
In November 1927 he was commissioned to create a statue of writerHenry Lawson; the work depicting Lawson in rough clothes accompanied by a swagman, a dog and a fence post was unveiled inThe Domain, Sydney on 28 July 1931 by theGovernor of New South Wales, SirPhilip Game.[6]
Lambert married Amelia Beatrice 'Amy' Absell (1872–1963) in 1900. Their children wereMaurice Lambert (1901–1964), a noted sculptor and associate of the Royal Academy, andConstant, the British composer and conductor, born in London in 1905.Kit Lambert (1935–1981), manager of the rock groupThe Who, was their grandchild.
Lambert died on 29 May 1930 atCobbitty, near Camden, New South Wales, and is buried in the Anglican section ofSouth Head Cemetery.[1]
Some of his family papers from 1874 to 1942 are held in the State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.[7]
His life was dramatised in an episode of the radio seriesFamous Australians.
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| Preceded by | Archibald Prize 1927 forMrs Annie Murdoch | Succeeded by |
