painter and cartoonist, was born in Ballarat. He studied at the Ballarat School of Mines and later taught there (1915-19). He was elected to the Melbourne Savage Club in 1918 and became a very active artist member designing covers for Smoke Concert programmes etc. In 1922 he painted in Europe and Morocco, then returned to Melbourne to paint watercolours, teach and write art criticism. The morbid viewpoint of modern art filled him 'with disgust and despair’, he wrote as art critic of the Argus in 1943 (Dow, p.67).
Herbert also produced etchings, lithographs and cartoons in an economical, sketchy style. In 1941 he was the first war artist to be appointed, serving for 6 months with the AIF in Egypt and in the Middle East in 1942. Some 50 of his war paintings are in Canberra (Dow, 1947). Two original cartoons in Ballarat Fine Art Gallery are Very Old n.d. (ink, gift of Bill and Klytie Pate 1971) and Hey! Come on! n.d. (pencil, gift of Mr and Mrs W.R. Griffiths 1982). His programme cover for the Savage Club’s 170th corroborree to welcome Lord Somers (“Boss Excellency, you come alonga us”), dated 28 August 1936, shows an Aboriginal Dad, Mum with luggage and son carrying vice-regal hat, the 'Klub’ mia-mia is in the distance): ill. Dow p.70.
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- Writers:
- Kerr, Joan
- Date written:
- 1996
- Last updated:
- 2007
