Adelaide Eliza Ironside
Encyclopedia
Adelaide Eliza Scott Ironside (17 November 1831 – 15 April 1867) was an Australia
n artist.
Ironside was born in Sydney, only surviving child of James Ironside, commission agent, and his wife Martha Rebecca, née Redman. She was educated by her mother and from a young age showed literary ability, contributing to the press both in prose and verse. In 1855 she decided to study painting in Europe, and towards the end of that year went with her mother to London. She had a letter of introduction to Sir James Clark
, through whom she met John Ruskin
who showed much interest in her work. From London Ironside went to Rome
, worked hard to become an artist and remained there for the rest of her life. Ironside was visited by the Prince of Wales
and William Charles Wentworth, who each paid £500 for a painting.
In 1862 Ironside was represented in the New South Wales court of the London Great Exhibition, and her two pictures received good reviews from the critics. In Rome she had an excellent reputation as a painter, at the time of her death a fellow artist spoke of her flowers "painted as never were flowers painted before . . . her rich Titian
-like colouring united to a purity of feeling that recalled the visions of Beato Angelico".
Ironside died in Rome on 15 April 1867 but was taken back to London and interred at West Norwood Cemetery
.
Good as her reputation was in Rome she was soon forgotten in her native country, and no specimen of her work is in any of its national galleries. Three of her pictures, "The Pilgrim of Art", "The Marriage in Cana", and "The Presentation of the Magi" were sent to Australia and lent to the national gallery at Sydney
, where Francis Adams
found them about 1888 stored "in a sort of shed" as there was "not room enough in the gallery". Adams praised them highly, and suggested that room might be found in the Melbourne gallery by taking out three by George Folingsby
, and putting Miss Ironside's pictures in their place. They eventually found a home in the dining hall of St Paul's College, Sydney University.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n artist.
Ironside was born in Sydney, only surviving child of James Ironside, commission agent, and his wife Martha Rebecca, née Redman. She was educated by her mother and from a young age showed literary ability, contributing to the press both in prose and verse. In 1855 she decided to study painting in Europe, and towards the end of that year went with her mother to London. She had a letter of introduction to Sir James Clark
James Clark
James Clark may refer to:* James Clark , Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Luxembourg* James Clark , Governor of Kentucky from 1836 to 1839* James Clark , Mayor of Auckland...
, through whom she met John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
who showed much interest in her work. From London Ironside went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, worked hard to become an artist and remained there for the rest of her life. Ironside was visited by the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
and William Charles Wentworth, who each paid £500 for a painting.
In 1862 Ironside was represented in the New South Wales court of the London Great Exhibition, and her two pictures received good reviews from the critics. In Rome she had an excellent reputation as a painter, at the time of her death a fellow artist spoke of her flowers "painted as never were flowers painted before . . . her rich Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
-like colouring united to a purity of feeling that recalled the visions of Beato Angelico".
Ironside died in Rome on 15 April 1867 but was taken back to London and interred at West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery is a cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery.One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and...
.
Good as her reputation was in Rome she was soon forgotten in her native country, and no specimen of her work is in any of its national galleries. Three of her pictures, "The Pilgrim of Art", "The Marriage in Cana", and "The Presentation of the Magi" were sent to Australia and lent to the national gallery at Sydney
Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales , located in The Domain in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, was established in 1897 and is the most important public gallery in Sydney and the fourth largest in Australia...
, where Francis Adams
Francis Adams
Francis Adams is the name of:*Francis Adams , Scottish medical doctor and translator of Greek medical works*Francis Adams , English essayist, poet, dramatist, novelist and journalist...
found them about 1888 stored "in a sort of shed" as there was "not room enough in the gallery". Adams praised them highly, and suggested that room might be found in the Melbourne gallery by taking out three by George Folingsby
George Frederick Folingsby
George Frederick Folingsby was an Irish/Australian painter and art educator.Folingsby was born in the County of Wicklow, Ireland. At the age of 18 he emigrated to Canada. Later he went to New York, studied drawing and contributed illustrations to magazines of the day...
, and putting Miss Ironside's pictures in their place. They eventually found a home in the dining hall of St Paul's College, Sydney University.