Nora Heysen was born in 1911 in Hahndorf, South Australia, the fourth of Hans and Selma Heysen’s eight children. Like her father, Sir Hans Heysen, Nora completed her formal art training in Adelaide at the School of Fine Arts, between 1926 and 1930, under F. Millward Grey. From there she went to Europe for additional experiences and work. She has been an accomplished artist, but only recently been getting the recognition she deserved for so long.
After her return to Australia, she continued to study two days a week at the School of Fine Arts while during the remaining time she painted in her studio, a converted shed, at The Cedars in Hahndorf.
As well as her still lifes, Nora Heysen has been praised for her portraiture. Some would say that she's painted more self-portraits, during her seventy years of painting, than any other artist except maybe Rembrandt.
In 1933, at the age of twenty-two, she had her first solo exhibition at the Royal South Australian Society of Arts Galleries, Adelaide. She exhibited portraits, still lifes and many drawings. It turned out to be a very successful one with most of her works sold, despite it being during the Great Depression. She was also awarded the Melrose Prize for Portraiture.
During 1938 she moved to Sydney and was made a Member of the Society of Artists in September. She entered two portraits in the Archibald Prize, which she won, with a portrait of Madame Elink Schuurman, wife of the Dutch Ambassador.
Being the first woman to win the Archibald Prize, it turned out to be a rather unpopular win in the male-dominated art world of that time.
Nora was appointed official war artist in 1943 (the first female ever!) and travelled to New Guinea in 1944 to paint the activities of the Australian men and women. She completed more than 170 works in this capacity. She was discharged on 7 February 1946. In New Guinea Nora met Dr Robert Black. In 1947 Nora travelled to England and lived in Liverpool and London partly to be near Black. They married in 1953 but divorced in 1972.
In 1957 Nora had an exhibition at John Martin’s Gallery, Adelaide. From then on she exhibited in many different places, often in South Australia but alo in other States.
Nora Heysen was awarded an Order of Australia in 1998.
At 89, she had an exhibition at the National Library in Canberra. She
died of a heart attack in Sydney on 30 December 2003, aged 92. Her ashes were later scattered at Hahndorf.
The studio of Nora Heysen has now been fully restored and opened for viewing. This provides another unique feature of The Cedars as it was the artistic home of both Sir Hans and his daughter Nora.
