Dorothy Robertson

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Dorothy Robertson
Born
Dorothy Elizabeth Rodgers
Died1979
Known forPainting

Dorothy Elizabeth Robertson (née Rogers, died 1979) was a New Zealand artist.[1]

Background[edit]

Born Dorothy Rogers near Margate, in Kent, England, into a family of six children. Her father was a captain in the British Navy and as a result, the family moved around the British Isles. Between the ages of 14 and 19 years Dorothy drew advertisements for products such as Beecham's Pills which were published in the Daily Mail. After leaving school Dorothy qualified as a nurse and met her future husband, Dr Malcolm Robertson from Christchurch, New Zealand, while working in a hospital. After marrying, Dorothy and her husband returned to New Zealand, where he practiced as an ear, nose and throat surgeon until retiring 30 years later. They had three sons who all became doctors. When the two eldest sons left home to study in England, Dorothy returned to concentrate on her painting. She worked from studios in her home in Christchurch and Takaka, Golden Bay.[citation needed]

Career[edit]

Dorothy's first artwork was accepted in 1951 by the Societe des Artistes Francais, at the Grand Palais, Champ-Elysees, Paris. In 1960 Dorothy received a Mention Honourable (award of merit) from the salon. In March 1969, an issue of the French art magazine La Revue Moderne featured one of Dorothy's paintings, 'Crayfishing, Kaikoura', on its cover, and a page inside was devoted to her work. Dorothy exhibited 32 paintings at the Societe des artistes Francais over 25 years. After noting her many successes between 1951 and 1974, the director of a famous private art gallery, Galerie Vallombreuse in Biarritz, decided to hold an exhibition of the New Zealander's art.[citation needed]

Despite her success overseas, Dorothy's work was rejected by the Canterbury Society of Arts in her home town of Christchurch, New Zealand. Her work was hung in the Royal Academy in London, the Royal Scottish Academy, the Society of Women Artists Exhibition in London and many other British galleries.[2] Robertson also exhibited with:

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Robertson, Dorothy". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  2. ^ "History of the Academy New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts". www.nzafa.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Artists exhibited with Auckland Society of Arts". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Artists exhibited with Canterbury Society of Arts". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  5. ^ "CSA 1949". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  6. ^ "CSA 1953". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Artists exhibited with New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  8. ^ Robin Kay and Tony Eden (1983). Portrait of a Century: The History of the N.Z. Academy of Fine Arts, 1882-1982. Millwood Press. ISBN 0908582609.

Further reading[edit]

Artist files for Dorothy Robertson are held at: