Description

Extended Data

DAAO URL

https://www.daao.org.au/bio/john-shearer-bowman

Birth Place

Scotland, UK

Biography

painter and art teacher, was born in Scotland in 1819 and came to Australia in 1853. He exhibited at the 1871 Emerald Hill Mechanics’ Institute Industrial and Fine Art Exhibition: 'There were … also some capital water colour and crayon drawings. One of the most interesting of which latter is The Discovery of Gipps Land, by Bowman’ ( Age 9 June 1871, 3). He established an art studio and school in Russell Street, Melbourne. One of his pupils in 1872 was his daughter, Zenobia Bowman . J.S. Bowman sent 10 paintings to the 1873 London International Exhibition: see Art Journal December 1873. At the 1872 Victorian Exhibition preparatory to the 1873 London Exhibition: Water-colour drawings, &c. – Bowman, J.S., 42 Russell-street – no.102 'View on Merri Creek’ (in crayons), by Frederick Straw ; no.103 'Ford on the Upper Yarra’ (in crayons), by J.S. Bowman; no.104 'A Quiet Pool on the Upper Yarra’ (in crayons), by J.S. Bowman; no.105 'Mount Kosciusko, in the Alps’ (in crayons), by J.S. Bowman; no.106 'Falls on the Crackenback River’ (in crayons), by J.S. Bowman; no.107 'Portrait of Mr J.S. Bowman’ (in crayons), by J.S. Bowman; no.114 Case of Victorian Crayons, made principally from Victorian Earths and Clays. He also exhibited nos 108-113, most of which appear to have been the work of his students. 'The only exhibitor of any note in crayons is Mr J.S. Bowman, who has several large pictures, all studies from nature’ ( Sydney Mail , 16 November 1872, p.615). Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition 1875: Bowman, J.S., 31 Russell-street, Melbourne [teacher] – no.3039 Vignette of the Sisters , crayon, Miss Baillie; no.3063 Lagoon in Survey Paddock , crayon, W. Baillie. Bowman exhibited 40 works by various artists – his pupils – nos3027-3053 and 3058-3070. He also exhibited four works by an unspecified artist (presumably himself): no.3054 'View near Elephant Bridge’, oil sketch; no.3055 'Mouth of Gardiner’s Creek’, oil sketch; no.3056 'Portrait Study’, oil sketch; no.3057 'Portrait Study’, oil sketch. “Mr J. Bowman exhibits a portrait of Dr Blair, the likeness being exceedingly good” ( Age , 6 November 1872). Exhibited at the fifth annual exhibition of the NSW Academy of Art in 1876: J.S. Bowman – Artist – Victoria – no.8 oil painting – 'Sketch in Australian Alps’ – £5.5.0; no.157 'Portrait of Chas Dickens’ – Colnl Crayons – from woodcut – £12.12.0; no.158 'On Blackall Creek, Gippsland’ – Colnl Crayons – original – £12.0.0.; no.159 'Pool near Source of Snowy River, NSW’ – Colnl Crayons – original – £31.10.0.; no.160 'Coast of Tasmania, Bass’s Straits’ – Colnl Crayons – original – £12.12.0; no.161 'Valley in Australian Alps, near Manaro Plains’ – Colnl Crayons – original – £21.0.0; no.162 'Sketch in Gippsland’ – Colnl Crayons – original – £2.2.0. Certificates of merit – oil paintings -“Mr Bowman and his pupils have a certificate of merit for a sketch in the Australian Alps” ( Sydney Mail , 22 April 1876). “Silver Medal [for] Crayons, no.159, crayon landscape, J.S. Bowman, NSW” ( Sydney Mail , 22 April 1876) “A silver medal was awarded to Mr J.S. Bowman for a picture in coloured crayons, no.159; and a certificate of merit to the same artist for a coloured crayon portrait of Charles Dickens, no.157” ( Sydney Mail , 22 April 1876). “The hon. secretary [of the NSW Academy of Art] reported that Mr J.S. Bowman had presented to the Council the admirable portrait of Charles Dickens, executed by him in colonial crayons, exhibited at this year’s exhibition” ( Sydney Mail , 20 May 1876). In 1883 the AGNSW held J.S. Bowman’s Portrait of Charles Dickens , presented by the artist: “The only crayon drawing in the Gallery. An admirable likeness, and possessing great merit as a work of art. It may be remarked that the chalks were prepared by the artist himself from Australian earths” (A.E. Greenwood & H.W.H. Stephen, Catalogue (Descriptive and Critical) of the Art Gallery with Sydney Art Notes , Sydney, 1883, p.35). NSW Academy of Art Exhibition 1877: “It may be remembered that in last year’s exhibition Mr Bowman, of Victoria, had several specimens of this class of picture which attracted considerable attention. Those shown this year are we understand chiefly the work of his pupils, and they show three things, how good the colours are, how readily and rapidly the crayons may be worked, and how useful they will be for sketching” ( Sydney Mail , 14 April 1877). “Prizes: To art students, not pupils of the Academy: – Certificate of merit – Miss Mafra Jones [q.v.] (pupil of Mr J.S. Bowman, of Melbourne), 'M’Millan’s Discovery of Gippsland’, no.137; Miss Rita Jones [q.v.] (pupil of Mr J.S. Bowman, Melbourne) 'Fall on Skeleton Creek’, no.139” ( Sydney Mail , 28 April 1877). Writers: Staff Writer Date written: 1992 Last updated: 2011

Born

b. 1819

Summary

John Shearer Bowman was a Scottish immigrant to Australia. Being both a painter and an art teacher and a regular exhibitor to exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne, there is some confusion over which paintings were Bowman's and which of them were by his students.

Gender

Male

Died

1912

Age at death

93