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Wilhelm Ernst Hans Franz Heysen was born on 8 October 1877 in Hamburg, Germany, the sixth child of Louis and Maria Heysen. His father migrated to South Australia in 1883 and Hans, his mother, brothers and sisters arrived in the following year.
Heysen attended a number of schools in Adelaide as his father tried his hand at a various unsuccessful business enterprises, finally establishing himself as a produce merchant. He left school in 1892, working first in a hardware store and then on one of his father's produce carts. His growing interest in art and drawing resulted in his part-time enrolment at James Ashton's Art School in Norwood. While convalescing at home, after a work accident, Heysen produced his first work of note, a watercolour titled 'The wet road'. This work was purchased by his art teacher, James Ashton.
In 1894, while Ashton returned to England for a visit, Heysen briefly attended the School of Design under the direction of Harry P. Gill. On Ashton's return he moved back to his newly established Academy of Art. In 1898, under the patronage of Robert Barr-Smith, Heysen returned to the School of Design to study for 12 months. During this period Heysen's work was exhibited regularly in Adelaide with the Easel Club and the Society of Arts.
In 1899 a number of Heysen's works were submitted to the Royal Drawing Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He was awarded the first prize and a gold medal for the outstanding work of the year. In the same year Heysen's talent was acknowledged by four prominent Adelaide businessmen. They agreed to finance his studies in Europe in return for the paintings that he produced during this period. He studied first in Paris at the Academie Julian, at Colarossi's Academy and then at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Summer painting excursions were made to Holland, Scotland and Germany and his last year was spent in Italy.
On his return to Adelaide in 1903 Heysen opened a studio and art school. The following year he won the Wynne prize for his work 'Mystic Morn' and in December married one of his art pupils, Selma (Sallie) Bartels. He continued to earn his living by painting and teaching, selling his pictures to private buyers and various galleries.
In 1908 Heysen held a one-man exhibition in Melbourne which was opened by the Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin. The exhibition was a great success and allowed the Heysen family to move to Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. It also generated commissions from prominent patrons such as (Dame) Nellie Melba and the Victorian governor. Following further successful exhibitions he was able to purchase 'The Cedars', a property on the outskirts of Hahndorf, in 1912, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Hesyen's work gained steadily in popularity in the 1920s. He became the subject of two dedicated issues of
Art in Australia
in 1920 and 1928 and was featured in other issues. Over his long career Heysen generated good sales from his exhibitions and private commissions which allowed him to support his family.
Heysen is best known for his landscapes of the Australian bush dominated by gum trees. His favourite locations were the Flinders Ranges (which he first visited in 1926), the Mount Lofty Ranges and the scenery around his home in rural Hahndorf. As well, he painted a range of other subjects including pastoral scenes, seascapes, still life studies and portraits. He was a fine water-colorist, etcher and painter in oils, and also sketched in charcoal and crayon.
Heysen won the Wynne prize nine times between 1904 and 1932, the Crouch prize in 1931 and the Maude Vizard Wholohan prize in 1957. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1945 and knighted in 1959.
He was a member of the Board of the Art Gallery of South Australia from its inception in 1940 until his death. During his life-time Heysen was a generous donor to the Gallery and he also left it a number of artworks in his will. A substantial body of his work is held by the Gallery.
Heysen died in July 1968, aged 90.
References
Hans Heysen,
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090289b.htm
Nancy Robinson Flannery, 'Heysen inspired by nature',
NLA News, Vol XV, No 2, November 2004, http://www.nla.gov.au/pub/nlanews/2004/nov04/article1.html.
Hylton, Jane and Neylon, John,
Hans Heysen: into the light, Kent Town, SA : Wakefield Press, 2004.
North, et al., comps, Hans Heysen centenary retrospective, 1877-1977, Adelaide : Art Gallery Board of South Australia, 1977.
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