Herbert Badham

Herbert Badham was born in 1899 in Watsons Bay, a suburb of Sydney, Australia to Herbert Lewis Badham (c1870-1937) and his wife Mary.[1][2][3][4][5] He was one of five children in the family. He enlisted in the Australian Royal Navy in 1917 to serve in World War I.[1] From 1925 to 1938, he studied painting at the Julian Ashton Art School, where he was tutored by Julian Ashton, George Washington Lambert and Henry Gibbons.[1][2][3][5]

He was a realist painter, and focused on painting scenes of everyday life.[6] "People in crowds, in the streets, in pubs, waiting, playing, watching others, travelling to and from work."[7] His work was exhibited at the Society of Artists from 1927 to his death.[5] Later, in 1939, his first solo exhibition took place at the Grosvenor Gallery, Sydney.[1] A review of the exhibition described a collection of portraits in pencil and a series of oils. Of particular note, the work 'Travellers' was described as "bustling plebian."[8] In a similar vein, another review praised Badham's ability to paint "aspects of Sydney life which few painters have the courage to tackle."[9]

Badham taught painting at the East Sydney Technical College from 1938 to 1961.[1][4] He published two books about Australian art,[1][3][5][10] A Study of Australian Art, 1949, and A Gallery of Australian Art, 1954.

By April 1950 he was living at Darling Point Road, Darling Point.[11] He married dressmaker Enid Wilson in Sydney in 1927.[12] Their daughter, Chebi Badham, became an artist and animator.[13]

Currently, two of his paintings are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.[14] Another painting is found at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in Ballarat.[4] Another painting is exhibited at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.[6]

He died on 24 September 1961.[2] His obituary reported Badham died in Royal South Sydney Hospital on Sunday, aged 62. "Mr Badham, of Macleay Street Potts Point, was head teacher at the National Art School, East Sydney.[15]