Fred Williams b. 23 January 1927

Also known as Frederick Ronald
  • Artist (Painter),
  • Artist (Printmaker)
Painter and printmaker, Fred Williams' paintings of the Australian landscape can be seen as a modernist reinterpretation of the Heidelberg tradition. He was a figurative artist who valued abstract qualities, a maker of figures as well as landscape. He was also a printmaker who made almost 300 etchings.
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painter and printmaker, made almost 300 etchings, including images of his children (see Hansen, cats 270, 271), and a smaller number of linocuts and woodcuts. His first prints were made in the 1950s when he was living in London and are figurative and generally naturalistic. They include two series, one of characters from London music halls, the other of scenes of everyday life. Examples include 'Windmill Girls’ 1955-56, printed 1966, etching & drypoint, plate tone on blue paper, edn 23/28, 10.9 × 16.4 cm, NGV, and 'Tumblers No.2’ 1956, a red chalk drawing transformed into an etching on zinc plate in 1961 after he returned to Melbourne. He continued to work on it until 1967 as well as painting two versions of the subject in oils.

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Writers:
Staff Writer
Date written:
1996
Last updated:
2007

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Date modified Jan. 7, 2012, 7:35 p.m. Jan. 7, 2012, 5:48 p.m.
Residences
  • 1927 - 1951 Melbourne, Vic.
  • c.1951 - c.1957 London, England, UK
  • 1957 - 22 April 1982 Melbourne, Vic.
  • Melbourne, Vic.
  • c.1950 London, England, UK
References [<ExternalResource: Kerr, Joan, '[Joan Kerr's Archive]', Canberra, ACT : National Library of Australia, (postcard).>, <ExternalResource: Hart, Deborah (2011), 'Fred Williams: Infinite Horizons'.>, <ExternalResource: Mollison, James (1968), 'Fred Williams Etchings'.>, <ExternalResource: McCaughey, Patrick (1987), 'Fred Williams 1927-1982'.>] [<ExternalResource: Kerr, Joan, '[Joan Kerr's Archive]', Canberra, ACT : National Library of Australia, (postcard).>]
See alsos [<ExternalResource: '?IMAGE: 'Little Man Juggling' 1954-56, etching, aquatint, engraving, drypoint, foul biting, ink, artist's proof B 15.4 x 17.2 cm (plate), NGV, presented through Art Foundation of Victoria by Mrs Lynn Williams, Founder Benefactor, 1992.'.>, <ExternalResource: Thomas, D., North, I., & McCarthy F. (1972), 'The Australian Landscape'.>] [<ExternalResource: '?IMAGE: 'Little Man Juggling' 1954-56, etching, aquatint, engraving, drypoint, foul biting, ink, artist's proof B 15.4 x 17.2 cm (plate), NGV, presented through Art Foundation of Victoria by Mrs Lynn Williams, Founder Benefactor, 1992.'.>, <ExternalResource: Hart, Deborah (2011), 'Fred Wiliams: Infinite Horizons'.>, <ExternalResource: Thomas, D., North, I., & McCarthy F. (1972), 'The Australian Landscape'.>]
Trainings
  • painting and drawing, 1943 - 1949 National Gallery School, Melbourne, Vic.
  • Painting and drawing, 1944 - 1949 George Bell School, Melbourne, VIC
  • painting and drawing, 1951 - 1955 Chelsea Art School, London, England, UK
  • Etching, 1954 - 1956 London Central School of Arts and Crafts, London, England, UK
Related collections
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria (collected in)
  • National Gallery Of Australia, Canberra, ACT (collected in)
  • Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, SA (collected in)
  • National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria (collected in)
Field Changes
Death
Burial place Cremated Springvale Crematorium, Melbourne, VIC
Summary