Melbourne-born artist Ivy Shore (1915–1999) was raised in Adelaide and
moved to Sydney in 1938, marrying financier Ray Shore. In the late
1950s, she enrolled in painting classes with Graeme Inson, who trained
her in the methods of his art teacher, Max Meldrum. On separating from
her husband in 1960, she bought her own house in Woollahra, and two
years later, Inson moved in. He painted several portraits of Shore, but
thought this one best expressed the principles of tonal realism. Inson
kept the work and exhibited it repeatedly to demonstrate his style of
portraiture to would-be clients and sitters. Through the 1960s, in her
own painting Shore moved away from the principles Inson had taught her
and began to focus on entering the Portia Geach Memorial Award instead
of the Archibald Prize. She won in 1979 with her portrait of trade
unionist Della Elliott. Shore used her prize money to have a studio
built above the garage of her house, so that she could paint away from
Inson and his disapproval of her ‘non-Meldrumite’ style. Shore continued
to exhibit in the Portia Geach Award until 1992.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Harvey and Russell Shore 2014
© Harvey Shore
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