Louise Henderson
Encyclopedia
Dame Louise Etiennette Sidonie Henderson, DBE (21 April 1902 - 27 June 1994) was a New Zealand
artist and painter.
Born in Paris, she was raised there and it was there she met her future husband Hubert Henderson, a New Zealander. Hubert returned to New Zealand in 1923 and proposed to Louise, but propriety demanded that a single woman not travel alone to New Zealand. She was married to Hubert by proxy at the British Embassy in Paris before emigrating to New Zealand in 1925 and settling with her husband in Christchurch
where she began studies at the Canterbury School of Art. After earning her diploma in 1931 she went on to teach at the school.
In 1933 she gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diane.
In the early 1940s Henderson moved to Wellington
and became interested in modernist concerns after seeing a number of cubist inspired paintings by John Weeks
, who she was corresponding with. In 1950 the family moved to Auckland and she attended the Elam School of Art
but was frustrated by its conservatism. She continued to work in John Weeks' studio, however and her work of this period becomes increasingly abstract and intellectual.
In 1952, at Weeks's urging, and with her husband's support, Louise Henderson returned to Paris for a year to improve her knowledge of modern painting. She studied there with Jean Metzinger
. On her return to Auckland
she was recognised as one of the leading Modernist painters. An exhibition of Henderson's vividly painted adaptations of the cubist style was held at the Auckland City Art Gallery shortly after she returned from Paris in 1953. This groundbreaking show combined with regular exhibitions over following years in both Auckland and Wellington firmly established her reputation as a modern artist of note.
She continued to employ a cubist approach in various ways, at times almost totally non-figurative, for the rest of her painting life. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s Henderson frequently chose still-life subjects as the starting point for paintings. All these works contain facetted abstraction in a traditionally cubist
manner but still retain enough figurative fragments to enable the subject to be easily recognised.
Henderson continued to be an active and seemingly inexhaustibly innovative painter well into her eighties. Her outstanding contribution to New Zealand painting was recognised in 1973 through the granting of a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council fellowship.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
artist and painter.
Born in Paris, she was raised there and it was there she met her future husband Hubert Henderson, a New Zealander. Hubert returned to New Zealand in 1923 and proposed to Louise, but propriety demanded that a single woman not travel alone to New Zealand. She was married to Hubert by proxy at the British Embassy in Paris before emigrating to New Zealand in 1925 and settling with her husband in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
where she began studies at the Canterbury School of Art. After earning her diploma in 1931 she went on to teach at the school.
In 1933 she gave birth to their only child, a daughter Diane.
In the early 1940s Henderson moved to Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and became interested in modernist concerns after seeing a number of cubist inspired paintings by John Weeks
John Weeks (painter)
John Weeks was a Devonshire born artist who was one of the most influential staff members at the Elam Art School of the University of Auckland where he taught from 1930-1954....
, who she was corresponding with. In 1950 the family moved to Auckland and she attended the Elam School of Art
Elam School of Fine Arts
The Elam School of Fine Arts, founded in 1890 by John Edward Elam is a part of Auckland University. Students study degrees in fine art with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach.-History:...
but was frustrated by its conservatism. She continued to work in John Weeks' studio, however and her work of this period becomes increasingly abstract and intellectual.
In 1952, at Weeks's urging, and with her husband's support, Louise Henderson returned to Paris for a year to improve her knowledge of modern painting. She studied there with Jean Metzinger
Jean Metzinger
Jean Metzinger was a French painter.Metzinger was born in Nantes, France. Initially he was influenced by Fauvism and Impressionism, but from 1908 he was associated with Cubism. Metzinger was a member of the Section d'Or group of artists...
. On her return to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
she was recognised as one of the leading Modernist painters. An exhibition of Henderson's vividly painted adaptations of the cubist style was held at the Auckland City Art Gallery shortly after she returned from Paris in 1953. This groundbreaking show combined with regular exhibitions over following years in both Auckland and Wellington firmly established her reputation as a modern artist of note.
She continued to employ a cubist approach in various ways, at times almost totally non-figurative, for the rest of her painting life. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s Henderson frequently chose still-life subjects as the starting point for paintings. All these works contain facetted abstraction in a traditionally cubist
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
manner but still retain enough figurative fragments to enable the subject to be easily recognised.
Henderson continued to be an active and seemingly inexhaustibly innovative painter well into her eighties. Her outstanding contribution to New Zealand painting was recognised in 1973 through the granting of a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council fellowship.
Honours
She was honoured with a damehood in 1993, a year before her death on 27 June 1994, aged 92.Sources
- Dunn, Michael. A Concise History of New Zealand Painting, David Bateman/ Craftsman House, 1991, Chapter 8 “Towards Modernism” (page 102).