Artist Database

Norman Lloyd was born in Hamilton, Newcastle, Australia, and like many aspiring artists of his generation – particularly those from working-class backgrounds – he moved to Sydney in 1911 to pursue a career in art. Supporting himself through manual labour, he studied under James R Jackson (1882-1975) and later Julian Ashton (1851-1942) before enlisting in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916. When he returned to Sydney, he resumed painting, producing landscapes admired for their vigorous brushwork and luminous portrayal of Australian light. Between 1926 and 1929 Lloyd journeyed through Europe, where he broadened his stylistic range and began painting in a manner reminiscent of the Impressionists; however, he dismissed the association, maintaining a strong sense of individualism and resisting alignment with the movement. This exposure led to exhibitions with the Société des Artistes Français and the Salon d’Hiver in Paris. In 1930, he settled in England and continued to travel extensively, including during World War II, when visits to Africa, Spain, and Morocco further enriched his landscape paintings. While depictions of the natural landscape remained his primary subject, Lloyd occasionally explored figuration and still life. His work evolved over the decades, influenced by Eastern aesthetics and even passing through a dark, Rousseau-inspired phase. Though his stylistic shifts were met with mixed success, his career was marked by a dynamic curiosity and an enduring commitment to the landscape tradition.