Elioth Gruner
Elioth Lauritz Leganyer Gruner, early anglicised from Green ( born December 16, 1882 in Gisborne, † October 17th 1939 in Sydney ) was an Australian painter, and a seven-time winner of the Wynne Prize.
Childhood
Gruner was born in New Zealand, as a younger son of Elliott Green, one born in Norway officer, and his Irish wife, Mary Ann, who died in 1922. Gruner was brought to Sydney before his first birthday and at an early age showed a desire to draw. When he was 12 years old, his mother took him with Julian Ashton, where he received his first art lessons. After his father and his older brother had died, he got himself at the age of 14 years, a job in a shop where he worked from 7:40 bis 21:30 clock clock to support the budget.
Artistic career
Gruner painted on the weekends. Beginning in 1901, he sent works to the exhibition of the Society of Artists in Sydney. As of 1907, other artists were interested in his work, an admirer was Norman Lindsay. In 1911, a small shop in the Bligh -street, Sydney, founded to sell Australian art. For a while Gruner took over the management of the store. Then he became assistant to Julian Ashton at the Sydney Art School and took over the complete management of the education system during Ashton's disease for about three months. In 1916 he won the Wynne Prize with the small landscape " Morning Light ", which was bought by the National Gallery of New South Wales. 1919 Gruner again won the Wynne Prize. The following year, the curators gave him an order to paint a large painting for the gallery "The Valley of the Tweed ." Although this work the 1921 Wynne Prize won and it was a capable job, it is rarely counted among his best works. Thereafter, he seldom made canvas works larger than 24 inches.
1923 Gruner traveled to Europe and was gone for about two years. The impact of travel on his work were very remarkable. There were more simplifications, he put more emphasis on pattern, and to a freer and more brushstrokes. Sir William Orpen had given him constructive comments on his work, the modified Gruner's style. Gruner was less interested in light problems and occasionally exhibited his works on a slightly cold aspect. These changes came at his admirers not always good, but Gruner could not allow himself to fall into a pit. 1927 held Gruner from a solo exhibition. Since he was a not very prolific artist, he was as good as sell everything he produced. Gruner spent a lot of time trying to find a suitable subject, and even more so to look at it carefully, before a brush stroke was done. Gruner began to take an interest again for the use of light. Some of the excellent works of his last period combined the qualities of his art with his passion.
Gruner suffered from chronic nephritis and died at his home in Waverley on 17 October 1939. He was cremated according to Anglican rites.