Walter Brookes Spong
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Walter Brookes Spong (1851 London, England - 2 March 1929 Nice, France) was an English stage and watercolor painter. [1][2][3][4]
Spong married Elizabeth Twedle, and their daughter, Hilda (1875-1955), was a famous actress in theater and movies, working in Australia, Europe, and America. Spong was a friend of noted Australian artists Tom Roberts[5], and Arthur Streeton.
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[edit] Australia
In 1886,[6] Spong moved to Australia, and became the chief scene painter with the Brough and Boucicault Comedy Company (may have accompanied them to Australia). In 1886, he was one of the founders of the Australian Artist's Association and the Victorian Art Society.
[edit] Return to England
In 1898, Spong returned to England.In 1900, he was listed as a scene painter in the records of the Royal Adelphi Theater of London.
[edit] Exhibitions of his works
His works have been exhibited at the Royal Art Society of New South Wales, Victorian Artist's Society (Australia), Society of Artists (Australia), Royal Institute of Watercolour Painters, Royal Academy (8) and Walker Gallery (66) in London, among others.
His works are represented in the Australian National Gallery, Canberra, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, The Manly Art Gallery, The Mitchell Library, Sydney, and The Dixon Galleries, as well as corporate and private collections in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Obituary in New York Times (8 March 1929)
- ^ Callaway, Anita. Visual Ephemera: Theatrical Art in Nineteenth-Century Australia, UNSW Press 2000.
- ^ Davenport's Art Reference and Price Guide, 2006/2007.
- ^ NY Times article
- ^ Croll, 'Smile to Bulldog', Ure Smith, Sydney, 1946
- ^ Art Collection
