Artist’s life explored by island author
David Rathgen’s book about the family history of artist Walter Withers and his wife Fanny Flinn, is being launched on October 27.
A book, “No Place Quite Like It” covering the family history of artist Walter Withers and his wife Fanny Flinn, including their times on Phillip Island, is being launched on October 27.
Author David Rathgen will be joined by guest speakers Andrew Mackenzie, art historian and Eileen Mackley from the Victorian Artists Society at the launch, at the Phillip Island Genealogical Society at 1.30pm.
David said summer holidays at Cowes have been a feature of Phillip Island since the Island was first settled.
“Among some of the earliest to holiday here were Walter Withers, his wife Fanny and their children between about 1889 and 1910.
“They were offered accommodation at Erehwon Guest house by Edmund Smith, the owner at the time, in exchange for Withers’ holding water-colour art classes for Smith’s friends.
“Walter Withers (1854-1914) was a notable Australian landscape artist of the Heidelberg school,” David explained.
“He was best friend to the likes of Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton and Clara Southern.
“The son of a rich Victorian businessman, Walter married Fanny Flinn, the daughter of a commercial salesman and part owner of a Birmingham brewery.
“In No Place Quite Like It, Walter, his wife Fanny and his family are shown against the social contexts in which they each grew up.
“For over 250 years the Withers family of Birmingham worked as tailors, sometimes also as butchers. During the Georgian era, English society changed and the Withers family with it.
“First came Edward Weston Withers, grandfather of Walter Withers who was a gentleman artist. Then Edwin Withers, Walter Withers’ father, took to tobacco, rope and twine manufacturing which put an end to the family’s traditions of butchery and tailoring.
“Edwin refused to let his son become an artist,” David said.
“They had a fight about it based on their contradictory expectations: between Walter’s expectations and those of his father; and between Edwin’s expectations and those he disliked in his father Edward.
“Those expectations and the societies which kindled them contributed to Walter’s character and art, which are explored in No Place Quite Like It.”
No Place Quite Like It will be launched at the Phillip Island Genealogical Society rooms, 56 Chapel Street Cowes on Friday October 27 from 1.30pm. Entry is Free, but to reserve your place, please book your ticket through Trybooking: www.trybooking.com/CLOFI.
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