Biographies

Frances Hodgkins (1870 – 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 1895-96 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 reputation continued to grow throughout her life. In 1929 she joined the Seven and Five Society and exhibited alongside artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and . She continued to paint well into her 70s despite suffering from acute bouts of rheumatism and bronchitis. Her art never lost the vigor that had marked it from the beginning. She was a true modernist and kept experimenting with styles throughout her career. Henry Moore