RICHARDSON, Charles Douglas

Charles Douglas Richardson was the son of an academic portrait and figure painter whose family emigrated to Portland, Victoria in 1858, Richardson was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne, the Artisans School of Design, Carlton (with Roberts and McCubbin) and at the National Gallery School in Melbourne. From 1881 he studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London where his nickname was ‘The Bushranger’. In 1883 he won second prize for painting and the following year won first prize for sculpture. He returned to Melbourne in 1889, taught life classes at the Victorian Artists Society and had a studio next to Conder and Streeton in Gordon Chambers. He exhibited 25 works in the 9” by 5” Impression Exhibition.

Richardson painted in both oils and water-colours but arguably his greatest works were sculptural. He had a gentle and unassuming nature which sometimes made it difficult for him to market his talents. Never the less, he received many public sculptural commissions and was elected president of the Victorian Artists Society from 1917-24 and 1925-30. A position he held for 12 years, a longer term than that of any other artist. He married the sculptor, Margaret Baskerville, a student of his and they lived and maintained studios in Church Street, Middle Brighton. He died in Melbourne in 1932.