Design and Art Australia Online

painter and scene-painter, was born in Sydney, son of Michael Setright, a builder, and Margaret, née Hennessy. On 22 October 1866 the Sydney Morning Herald noted that he had helped extinguish a fire at the Victoria Theatre where he was working as a scene-painter, although his name was misspelt as Selwright. Two months later an advertisement for the Victoria Theatre’s Christmas pantomime stated that the scenery – 'extremely new’ – was by Messrs Burbury and Setright, and for the next few years Setright worked as scene-painter for both the Victoria and Prince of Wales. Known as Richard, he was listed as an artist living at 190 Riley Street in 1868, at 205 Bourke Street in 1869-71. Robertson’s Point, North Shore (for sale at 12 guineas) was shown from the latter address at the 1870 Sydney Intercolonial Exhibition in the category of landscape watercolours by professionals. In 1873 he painted 'the whole of the scenery and decorations’ for the Freemasons’ Hall, Wagga Wagga, including a new drop-scene. According to the Illustrated Sydney News , it was 'a beautiful work of art, representing with remarkable fidelity, a view of Windsor Castle from the Thames’.

Some time before 1875 Richard was joined by his brother Thomas, whose occupation was also given as artist; the two were listed as Setright Brothers of 207 Bourke Street in 1875-76. No surviving works by either brother is known and undoubtedly both made a living primarily as scene-painters. Although 'R. Setright’ also exhibited with the Royal Art Society in 1880, when he died at Sydney in October 1891 the Lorgnette noted that 'the only work of the deceased artist at present in evidence is the act drop of the Standard Theatre, and this alone serves to remind the present generation of the now extinguished light of the much vaunted “old colonial days”’. He was survived by his widow Susan, née Harvey, whom he had married at Newcastle in about 1877, and two sons, Augustus and Percy, as well as his brother Tom—still in Bourke Street but now calling himself 'music-seller’.

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011