WILLIAM BOISSEVAIN
- BIOGRAPHYBACKGROUND
William (Wim) Boissevain was born in New York in 1927. He studied at L’Academie des
Beaux Arts, Paris and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, London. He has lived in Australia
since 1947. William (Wim) Boissevain enjoys a world-wide reputation as one of Australia’s most
distinguished artists. His paintings hang in galleries and many important corporate and private collections
throughout the world. He was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1978 for his services to
the advancement of art.
Wim is the son of a Dutch diplomat was born in 1927 in New York, where he spent his childhood. He
grew up moving around the world accompanying his parents to their various postings. He became an
Australian citizen in 1949. Wim settled in Western Australia permanently having been seduced by the
rich beauty of the Western Australian landscape. He now lives in the beautiful hills area of Glen Forest.
ARTISTIC STYLE
Wim’s versatility and passion for colour inspire a vigorous treatment of his subject matter. Landscapes,
Animals, Flowers and Nudes are brought to life by sublime nuances of design, decoration and sensuous
line. In his flower paintings, bunches of colour explode out of the canvas, whilst grace and tranquility
emanate from his oil wash nudes. His landscapes of the scrubby hills of W.A. also reflect great beauty.
It is in the pursuit of harmony, that Boissevain captures our imaginations with the splendor of colour.
AWARDS
Claude Hotchin Art Prize, 1959
Helena Rubenstein Prize for Portraiture, 1961
Perth Prize for Drawing International, Perth, Western Australia, 1971
Order of the British Empire, 1978
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
2005 – A portrait painted by William Boissevain of former Alcoa of Australia Chairman, Sir
James Alexander Forrest has been included in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra
EXHIBITIONS
Skinner Gallery, Perth - 1964, 1965, 1969, 1971
Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney - 1976, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1995
Earl Gallery, Geelong, Victoria - 1977
Lister Gallery, Perth - 1979, 1981, 1983, 1984
Bay Gallery of Fine Art, Perth - 1989
Greenhill Gallery, Perth - 1994, 1997
Stafford Studios of Fine Art, Perth - 1993, 1996, 1998, 202, 204, 2006, 2007
Savill Galleries- 2001
Greythorn Galleries, Melbourne - 2007
Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney - 2004
Wagner Art Gallery, Sydney - 1998, 2000, 2008
COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; Art Gallery of Western Australia; Art Gallery of Tasmania;
Murdoch University; Curtin University of Technology; Premier’s Department - Western Australia; Rural
and Industries Bank, Perth; Wesley College, Western Australia; Orion Bank, Hong Kong and London;
Alcoa - Perth, Melbourne and U.S.A.
PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
H.R.H. The Prince of Wales; Baroness Bentinck, Switzerland; The Emir of Bahrain; Sir Vincent Fairfax;
The Holmes a’Court Collection; Lady McMahon; Sir Val Duncan; The Hon. Malcolm Fraser AC;
Bailleau Myer; Garrick Agnew; Daniel Hill; Kamahl; ABBA; David Addenbrooke; AMP Perth;
Joondalup Development Corporation; CSBP; Burswood Management Corporation; Westfarmers Ltd,
Perth
PUBLICATIONS
Art and Aria, WA Opera Company, Fine Arts W.A., 1977
Art and Australia Vol.26, No4, 1989
Art and Australia Vol.30, No4, 1993
Artists and Galleries of Australia and New Zealand, Max Germaine, Lansdowne, Melbourne, 1979
Artists and Galleries of Australia, Vol.1, 1990, Max Germaine, Craftsman House
Artlook - W.A. Arts Magazine, Jan 1980
Artlook - W.A. Arts Magazine, Murray Mason, 1983
Australian Art Auction Records 1991 - 1993, Edward D. Craig, 8th ed., Australian Art Sales,
1993
Australian Artist,“The Essence of my style is the effect that colour has with line.”Maud Kemp, 7/87
Australian Home Journal, July 1968
Australian Paintings - Earl Gallery by Ross Graphics
Contemporary Western Australian Painters and Printmakers, Freemantle Arts Centre Press, 1979
Home Beautiful, May 1990
Home and Garden "Classic Designs", 1985
"Killing Cats and Karma", Maureen Addenbrooke,Mo Chrohide, George Mulgrave
The Sydney Morning Herald, Good Weekend Magazine, 1990
Vogue Living, March 1990
W.A. Arts Volume 1, No2, May 1987
Westerly, University of W.A. Press Nos 2 and 3, 1962
Westerly, University of W.A. Press No4, 1963
The Western Mail Magazine, "Painting Partners", Janine Cohen, January 31, 1987
Wim Boissevain Exhibition - 17-Minute Video On Line Video, 1992
Encyclopedia of Australian Art, Alan McCulloch, Hutchinson Australia, 1984
William Boissevain - A Passion for Colour, Beagle Press, Sydney, 1998
WAGNER ART GALLERY
39 GURNER STREET PADDINGTON NSW 2021
Tel: 02 9360 6069 Fax: 02 9361 5492
Email: wagnerart@bigpond.com
Website: www.wagnerartgallery.com.au
Hours: Mon-Sat 10.30am – 6:00pm, Sun 1:00 – 6:00pm