painter, was born in Sydney on 25 October 1888, only child of Thomas John Francis Chapman, a merchant, and Grace Egerton, née Cornish, formerly of New Zealand. She had lessons with Dattilo Rubbo for four years (c.1906-11) and from him learnt to explore colour and light as well as to see the subject as a whole. She did well, and in 1909 she was awarded first prize in the Royal Art Society’s student drawing competition. In 1911 she painted a portrait of her teacher later purchased by the Art Gallery of NSW. She also exhibited with the Art Society. Her early work consisted mainly of portraits and figure subjects, which were praised by contemporaries for their harmonious colour sense.
In Europe with her parents in about 1911, Chapman broadened her training. She studied at the Académie Julian in Paris under Lucien Simon. In 1914 she returned briefly to Sydney and sold her painting of two girls with a bowl of goldfish, Blue and Gold , to the Art Gallery of NSW. During World War I Evelyn lived in Britain and continued her studies, this time under Lucy Kemp-Welch at the Bushey School of Art in Hertfordshire. She also painted landscapes at St Ives in Cornwall. Between 1919 and 1920 she was in the area near Villers-Bretonneux with her father, Francis Chapman, who was attached to the NZ War Graves Commission. Evelyn spent her time painting a series of works depicting battlefield ruins. In 1920 she visited Bruges and sketched scenic views. That year three of her works were hung in the Salon des Beaux Arts, Paris; a further three were included the following year.
At the end of 1920 Chapman revisited Australia. She returned to London and in 1925 married Dr George Thalben-Ball and gave up painting. She revisited Australia in 1960 and died in 1961 following her return to London.
- Writers:
- Gray, Anna
Note: Heritage biography.
- Date written:
- 1995
- Last updated:
- 2011
