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{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{short description|British-born Australian tobacconist, art patron, painter and etcher}}
{{short description|British-born Australian tobacconist, art patron, painter and etcher}}
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{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}


{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox artist
{{Infobox artist
| name = Louis Abrahams
| name = Louis Abrahams
| image = 'Portrait of Louis Abrahams' by Tom Roberts, 1886.jpg
| image = 'Portrait of Louis Abrahams' by Tom Roberts, 1886.jpg
| caption = Portrait of Abrahams by [[Tom Roberts]], 1886, [[National Gallery of Australia]]
| caption = Portrait of Abrahams by [[Tom Roberts]], 1886, [[National Gallery of Australia]]
| birth_name = Louis Abrahams
| birth_name = Louis Abrahams
| birth_date = 1852
| birth_date = 1852
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| birth_place = [[London]], England
| spouse = Golda Abrahams
| spouse = Golda Abrahams
| death_date = 1903
| death_date = {{death date and age|1903|1852}}
| death_place = [[Melbourne]], Victoria, Australia
| death_place = [[Melbourne]], Victoria, Australia
| nationality = Australian
| nationality = Australian
| field = Painting
| field = Painting
| training =
| training =
| movement = [[Heidelberg School]]
| movement = [[Heidelberg School]]
| works =
| works =
| patrons =
| patrons =
| influenced by =
| influenced by =
| influenced =
| influenced =
| awards =
| awards =
}}
}}
'''Louis Abrahams''' (1852 – 2 December 1903) was a British-born Australian tobacconist, art patron, painter and etcher associated with the [[Heidelberg School]] art movement, also known as Australian Impressionism.
'''Louis Abrahams''' (1852 – 2 December 1903) was a British-born Australian [[tobacconist]], art patron, painter and etcher associated with the [[Heidelberg School]] art movement, also known as [[Heidelberg School|Australian Impressionism]].


==Early life==
⚫
Born in [[London]], England, Abrahams arrived in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia, as an eight-year-old with his family in 1860. Later that decade, Abrahams attended the Artisans School of Design in [[Carlton, Victoria|Carlton]], where he met [[Frederick McCubbin]].<ref name=chris/> The pair formed a close friendship and later enrolled at the [[National Gallery of Victoria Art School]] in 1871, where they founded a club to [[nude (art)|study the nude]]. McCubbin named his first son Louis after Abrahams, who reciprocated by naming his son Frederick.<ref name=chris/> Both artists, along with fellow National Gallery student [[Tom Roberts]], established the [[Box Hill artists' camp]] in 1885.<ref name=chris/> Later accompanied by [[Arthur Streeton]], [[Charles Conder]] and others, the group sought to capture [[the bush#Australia|the Australian bush]] by painting it ''[[en plein air]]''. By the time the group relocated to [[Eaglemont, Victoria|Mount Eagle]] estate (Eaglemont) near [[Heidelberg, Victoria|Heidelberg]] in 1888, Abrahams had less time for art due to the demands of the family cigar business. He still made trips to visit his friends at Eaglemont, and supplied them with many cigar-box lids for painting ''impressions''. 183 of these cigar-box paintings were exhibited by Roberts, Streeton and Conder in the landmark [[9 by 5 Impression Exhibition]] of 1889.<ref name=chris/>
Born in [[London]], England, Abrahams arrived in [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia, as an eight-year-old with his family in 1860.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

==Career and association with the Heidelberg School==
⚫
Later that decade, Abrahams attended the Artisans School of Design in [[Carlton, Victoria|Carlton]], where he met [[Frederick McCubbin]].<ref name=chris/> The pair formed a close friendship and later enrolled at the [[National Gallery of Victoria Art School]] in 1871, where they founded a club to [[nude (art)|study the nude]]. McCubbin named his first son [[Louis McCubbin|Louis]] after Abrahams, who reciprocated by naming his son Frederick.<ref name=chris/> Both artists, along with fellow National Gallery student [[Tom Roberts]], established the [[Box Hill artists' camp]] in 1885.<ref name=chris/> Later accompanied by [[Arthur Streeton]], [[Charles Conder]] and others, the group sought to capture [[the bush#Australia|the Australian bush]] by painting it ''[[en plein air]]''.

By the time the group relocated to [[Eaglemont, Victoria|Mount Eagle]] estate (Eaglemont) near [[Heidelberg, Victoria|Heidelberg]] in 1888, Abrahams had less time for art due to the demands of the family cigar business, [[Sniders & Abrahams]]. He still made trips to visit his friends at Eaglemont, and supplied them with many cigar-box lids for painting ''impressions''. 183 of these cigar-box paintings were exhibited by Roberts, Streeton, Conder and McCubbin in the landmark [[9 by 5 Impression Exhibition]] of 1889.<ref name=chris/>


Abrahams sat for some of McCubbin's best-known paintings, including ''[[Down on His Luck]]'' (1889) and ''A Bush Burial'' (1890), and he is the subject of portraits by McCubbin, Roberts, Streeton, [[Julian Ashton]], [[John Mather (artist)|John Mather]] and others.<ref name=chris/> Due to his financial support of the Australian impressionists, Abrahams, along with his brother and business partner Lawrence, is regarded as an important patron of early Australian art.<ref name=chris/>
Abrahams sat for some of McCubbin's best-known paintings, including ''[[Down on His Luck]]'' (1889) and ''A Bush Burial'' (1890), and he is the subject of portraits by McCubbin, Roberts, Streeton, [[Julian Ashton]], [[John Mather (artist)|John Mather]] and others.<ref name=chris/> Due to his financial support of the Australian impressionists, Abrahams, along with his brother and business partner Lawrence, is regarded as an important patron of early Australian art.<ref name=chris/>


==Death and legacy==
Abrahams suffered from depression and committed suicide on 2 December 1903.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10585992 "The Suicide of a City Man"] (4 December 1903), ''The Argus''. Retrieved 31 July 2018.</ref> His body was found in a basement toilet at his factory, "with a bullet wound in the head and a revolver clenched in both hands".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189335503|title=Suicide of a business man|newspaper=The Age|date=4 December 1903}}</ref>
Abrahams suffered from depression and committed suicide on 2 December 1903.<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10585992 "The Suicide of a City Man"] (4 December 1903), ''The Argus''. Retrieved 31 July 2018.</ref> His body was found in a basement toilet at his factory, "with a bullet wound in the head and a revolver clenched in both hands".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189335503|title=Suicide of a business man|newspaper=The Age|date=4 December 1903}}</ref>


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Abrahams Crescent in the Canberra suburb of [[Conder, Australian Capital Territory|Conder]] is named in his honour.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237708927|title=National Memorial Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature Australian Capital Territory National Memorials Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature|date=1988-08-31|work=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Periodic (National : 1977 - 2011)|access-date=2020-01-09|page=9}}</ref>
Abrahams Crescent in the Canberra suburb of [[Conder, Australian Capital Territory|Conder]] is named in his honour.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article237708927|title=National Memorial Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature Australian Capital Territory National Memorials Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature|date=1988-08-31|work=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Periodic (National : 1977 - 2011)|access-date=2020-01-09|page=9}}</ref>

Abrahams's nephew was Louis Henry Abrahams (1891 – 1940), son of Abrahams's brother Lawrence, and a founder of [[Astor Radio Corporation|Astor Radio]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABRAHAMS, Louis Henry |url=https://digitize-vwma.s3.amazonaws.com/I/documents/3158/file/Abrahams_Louis_Henry.pdf |website=Virtual War Memorial}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=My School Remembers, War Database, Abrahams Louis Henry |url=https://digitize-vwma.s3.amazonaws.com/I/documents/3158/file/Abrahams_Louis_Henry.pdf}}</ref>


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
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[[Category:1852 births]]
[[Category:1852 births]]
[[Category:1903 suicides]]
[[Category:1903 suicides]]
[[Category:British emigrants to the Colony of Victoria]]
[[Category:19th-century Australian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Heidelberg School]]
[[Category:Heidelberg School]]
[[Category:Australian Jews]]
[[Category:Australian Jews]]
[[Category:Australian tobacconists]]
[[Category:Australian tobacconists]]
[[Category:19th-century Australian painters]]
[[Category:19th-century Australian painters]]
[[Category:19th-century male artists]]
[[Category:19th-century Australian male artists]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian painters]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian painters]]
[[Category:20th-century male artists]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian male artists]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Victoria (Australia)]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:1903 deaths]]
[[Category:1903 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian male painters]]
[[Category:Australian male painters]]
[[Category:Artists from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Artists from Victoria (state)]]

Latest revision as of 14:22, 10 July 2024

Louis Abrahams
Portrait of Abrahams by Tom Roberts, 1886, National Gallery of Australia
Born
Louis Abrahams

1852
London, England
Died1903(1903-00-00) (aged 50–51)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Known forPainting
MovementHeidelberg School
SpouseGolda Abrahams

Louis Abrahams (1852 – 2 December 1903) was a British-born Australian tobacconist, art patron, painter and etcher associated with the Heidelberg School art movement, also known as Australian Impressionism.

Early life

[edit]

Born in London, England, Abrahams arrived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, as an eight-year-old with his family in 1860.[citation needed]

Career and association with the Heidelberg School

[edit]

Later that decade, Abrahams attended the Artisans School of Design in Carlton, where he met Frederick McCubbin.[1] The pair formed a close friendship and later enrolled at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in 1871, where they founded a club to study the nude. McCubbin named his first son Louis after Abrahams, who reciprocated by naming his son Frederick.[1] Both artists, along with fellow National Gallery student Tom Roberts, established the Box Hill artists' camp in 1885.[1] Later accompanied by Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and others, the group sought to capture the Australian bush by painting it en plein air.

By the time the group relocated to Mount Eagle estate (Eaglemont) near Heidelberg in 1888, Abrahams had less time for art due to the demands of the family cigar business, Sniders & Abrahams. He still made trips to visit his friends at Eaglemont, and supplied them with many cigar-box lids for painting impressions. 183 of these cigar-box paintings were exhibited by Roberts, Streeton, Conder and McCubbin in the landmark 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition of 1889.[1]

Abrahams sat for some of McCubbin's best-known paintings, including Down on His Luck (1889) and A Bush Burial (1890), and he is the subject of portraits by McCubbin, Roberts, Streeton, Julian Ashton, John Mather and others.[1] Due to his financial support of the Australian impressionists, Abrahams, along with his brother and business partner Lawrence, is regarded as an important patron of early Australian art.[1]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Abrahams suffered from depression and committed suicide on 2 December 1903.[2] His body was found in a basement toilet at his factory, "with a bullet wound in the head and a revolver clenched in both hands".[3]

Abrahams' personal art collection was passed down to his grandson, architect Sir Denys Lasdun, best-known for designing the Royal National Theatre complex on London's South Bank.[1]

Abrahams Crescent in the Canberra suburb of Conder is named in his honour.[4]

Abrahams's nephew was Louis Henry Abrahams (1891 – 1940), son of Abrahams's brother Lawrence, and a founder of Astor Radio.[5][6]

[edit]
  • Roberts' 1886 painting The Artists' Camp shows Abrahams and McCubbin
    Roberts' 1886 painting The Artists' Camp shows Abrahams and McCubbin
  • Abrahams sat as the disheartened swagman for McCubbin's 1889 painting Down on His Luck
    Abrahams sat as the disheartened swagman for McCubbin's 1889 painting Down on His Luck

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "One of the greatest early patrons of Australian art" (12 December 2017), Christie's. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ "The Suicide of a City Man" (4 December 1903), The Argus. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Suicide of a business man". The Age. 4 December 1903.
  4. ^ "National Memorial Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature Australian Capital Territory National Memorials Ordinance 1928 Determination of Nomenclature". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. Periodic (National : 1977 - 2011). 31 August 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  5. ^ "ABRAHAMS, Louis Henry" (PDF). Virtual War Memorial.
  6. ^ "My School Remembers, War Database, Abrahams Louis Henry" (PDF).
[edit]
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