Frances Mary Hodgkins 1869 -1947

The second daughter of William Mathew Hodgkins, Frances Hodgkins was born in Dunedin and first exhibited in 1890, although she was at this time overshadowed by her sister Isobel. In 1893 she became a student of Girolami Nerli and in 1885-86 attended the Dunedin School of Art.

Intending to further her education she left for Europe in 1901 working in England, France, Holland and Morocco. She came back to Wellington in 1903 to teach and paint, but dissatisfied with her prospects, returned to Europe in 1906. Her first solo show was in London in 1907. She then went to Paris where she taught at Colarossi's Academy in 1911-12 and in a school of her own. Returning to New Zealand in 1912 she stayed only a year before leaving for Europe for the final time.

Her work came to show an increasing awareness of modernist painting and in 1929 she joined the Seven and Five Society which included English artists Ivon Hitchens and Ben Nicholson. Hodgkins exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Institute of Watercolourists as well as exhibiting in Paris and sending works back to New Zealand. She began painting in gouache and oils as well as watercolour and by 1933 was admired by, and exhibited with, the avant garde artists of the time including Paul Nash, John Piper and Ivon Hitchens.

A major retrospective exhibition was held at the Lefevre Gallery, London in 1946 and her work is represented in all the Public Galleries in New Zealand, many of the Australian Galleries and a number of English Galleries including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Tate Gallery.

Hodgkins, considered to be New Zealand's most important expatriate artist, is now also regarded as a major 20th century British artist.