Description

Extended Data

Birth Place

England, UK

Biography

painter and scene-painter, the son of a successful English scene painter, arrived at Port Melbourne on 27 January 1853 with his wife Jane as unassisted migrants. An experienced scene-painter from the London Lyceum Theatre, he was soon employed by the theatrical entrepreneur George Selth Coppin. When Coppin’s company appeared at Geelong’s weatherboard Theatre Royal in March 1855 the building had been refurbished and decorated by Pitt. Coppin had purchased a prefabricated iron theatre in England in 1854 and had it shipped to Melbourne. This became the Olympic Theatre and Pitt painted many of the backdrops to G.V. Brooke’s Shakespearian performances there in 1855-56. Styled by the Argus in January 1856 as 'the most accomplished scenic artist in the colonies’, he also painted the scenery for Brooke’s performances in August 1856 at Melbourne’s Theatre Royal (then also owned by Coppin); his scenery for The Winter’s Tale was particularly admired. During the year he also worked with Wilson , Arragoni and Hennings on the Neapolitan panorama for Coppin’s Cremorne Gardens at Richmond, an enormous work reportedly covering 25 000 feet (7620 m) of canvas. In 1858 he painted a new panorama, The Fall of Delhi , working with Wilson and one of the Habbe brothers , almost certainly Alexander. In February 1859 Pitt’s transformation scene, Conchological Cosmorama of Coral Coruscations , was included in a production of Once Upon a Time There Were Two Kings at the Royal Victoria Theatre, Sydney, on which occasion the management 'particularly requested that parties will not move from their seats during the working’ of the scene. By then Pitt was general manager for the partnership of Coppin & Brooke, in charge of the finances of the Olympic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Cremorne Gardens and the Argyle Ball Rooms. When the partnership was dissolved Pitt appears to have remained with Coppin at Cremorne Gardens until at least 1861. In that year he exhibited three paintings at the Victorian Exhibition of Fine Arts – Off to Dandenong , View near the Splitters’ Hut, Dandenong and A Sketch – of which the Examiner noted: 'Mr Pitt’s long experience in another branch of the art has enabled him to concentrate his effects, and the spectator, though dwelling upon a particular part, enjoys the feeling of taking in the whole of the picture, so judiciously is the interest circled round a centre of brightness.’ Pitt continued to work as a Melbourne scene-painter throughout the 1860s. In 1868 he was listed as an 'artist and portrait painter’ of 173 Bourke Street West. On the Teign in Devon , lent to the 1869 Ballarat Mechanics Institute Exhibition by W. Robertson, was included among the exhibits 'particularly worthy of notice’ by the Age , while the Argus described it as a 'marvellous river scene, full of shadows and daylight’. A foundation member of the Victorian Academy of Arts in 1870, Pitt was elected treasurer. He resigned later that year as a protest against an exhibition he predicted would be a failure. Nevertheless, he showed an oil painting in it, Near Yalcombe, Devon , but did not exhibit again. Pitt died at his St Kilda home on 17 January 1879. At the time he was lessee of the Theatre Royal Café and on the evening of his death the café's lights were dimmed and the staff wore mourning. Pitt’s son, William Pitt the younger, who became a prominent architect and parliamentarian, designed several Melbourne theatres. Writers: Maslen, Joan Date written: 1992 Last updated: 2011

Born

b. 1819

Summary

An experienced scene-painter from England, William Pitt arrived in Melbourne in 1853. Working for many years in theatre production, he was also a foundation member of the Victorian Academy of Arts before a quarrel saw him resign from his post.

Gender

Male

Died

17 January 1879

Age at death

60