Grace Jane Joel

Place: Dunedin

Born: 1865

Death: 1924

Biography:

Grace Jane Joel was a New Zealand artist born in Dunedin, New Zealand on 28 May 1865. She was the sixth of nine children of English-born parents, Maurice Joel and Kate Woolf, who were prominent and cultivated members of Dunedin's Jewish community.

Early Life and Education

Grace Joel was determined to pursue an art career from an early age. After attending Otago Girls' High School from 1875 to 1882, she became an elected member of the Otago Art Society in 1886. From 1888 to 1889 she studied at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in Melbourne, returning there in 1891 to continue studies with tutors like Frederick McCubbin and Lindsay Bernard Hall.

Artistic Career

In 1894, she returned to Dunedin to establish herself as a professional artist. She became involved in the Otago Art Society and the Easel Club, where she associated with Italian artist G. P. Nerli. She distinguished herself in the local art scene by focusing on figures and portraits, often drawing on a rich palette of colour. Her painting Girl with Scarf is an example of her work, which can be found at https://Wikioo.org/@@/D4NLSN-Grace-Jane-Joel-Girl-with-Scarf. Eager to further establish her artistic reputation, Joel left New Zealand for Europe in 1899. She settled in London but also worked in France and the Netherlands, exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Société des artistes français in Paris with a measure of success.

Awards and Legacy

Although she returned to New Zealand briefly in 1906, Joel spent the remainder of her life living and working in Europe. She died of cancer at Kensington, London on 6 March 1924. She bequeathed £500 to endow a scholarship for students of painting at the National Gallery School in Melbourne, for painting from the nude. More information about her life and work can be found at https://Wikioo.org/@/Grace-Jane-Joel. Some of her notable works are listed below:

• Girl with Scarf: This painting is an example of Joel's work, which can be found at https://Wikioo.org/@@/D4NLSN-Grace-Jane-Joel-Girl-with-Scarf.
• Other works: Joel's other notable works can be found at https://Wikioo.org/@/Grace-Jane-Joel.

More information about the Étaples art colony where Joel worked can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Étaples_art_colony.