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Patricia France

Patricia France (1911 - 1995) was active/lived in New Zealand.  Patricia France is known for Painting.

After taking up painting aged in her 50s, Patricia France created a unique body of figurative painting. France grew up in various locations in the North Island and had thought to pursue medicine at university. In 1928, after finishing her schooling at Auckland Diocesan School for Girls, France travelled with her mother and aunt to Europe where they visited art galleries, museums and chateaux in Italy, Sicily, France, Switzerland, Holland and Germany. She enrolled and studied in Paris at the recently established branch of the New York School of Interior Design. In 1931 the trio returned to Auckland and for many years thereafter Patricia’s life was devoted solely to caring for her aging mother and aunts and to voluntary social work, including four years during World War II as a St John Voluntary Aid at the Ellerslie Racecourse Military Hospital. After her mother’s death France suffered from depression and following a nervous breakdown, was admitted to Ash   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 2086 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 70 auction lots for Patricia France (of which 56 auction records sold and 0 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

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Research resources

.  askART lists Patricia France in 0 of its research Essays. Patricia France has 1 artist signature examples available in our database.

Similar artists

.  There are 24 similar (related) artists for Patricia France available:    Ralph Hotere,  Jan Nigro,  Dick Frizzell,  Charles Blomfield,  John Weeks,  Nigel Brown,  Patrick Hanly,  John S Parker,  Evelyn Page,  Don Binney,  Petrus van der Velden,  Peter Siddell,  Paul Dibble,  Gretchen Albrecht,  Luise Fong,  Michael Smither,  Richard McWhannell,  Sir Mountford Tosswill Woollaston,  Richard Killeen,  A Lois White,  Terry Stringer,  Robyn Kahukiwa,  Sylvia Siddell,  Philippa Blair



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Facts about Patricia France

Biography from International Art Centre

After taking up painting aged in her 50s, Patricia France created a unique body of figurative painting. France grew up in various locations in the North Island and had thought to pursue medicine at university. In 1928, after finishing her schooling at Auckland Diocesan School for Girls, France travelled with her mother and aunt to Europe where they visited art galleries, museums and chateaux in Italy, Sicily, France, Switzerland, Holland and Germany. She enrolled and studied in Paris at the recently established branch of the New York School of Interior Design. In 1931 the trio returned to Auckland and for many years thereafter Patricia’s life was devoted solely to caring for her aging mother and aunts and to voluntary social work, including four years during World War II as a St John Voluntary Aid at the Ellerslie Racecourse Military Hospital. After her mother’s death France suffered from depression and following a nervous breakdown, was admitted to Ashburn Hall, a private psychiatric hospital in Dunedin. During the seven years she spent at Ashburn Hall as a voluntary boarder she became a close friend of Dr. Denford, her psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Dr. Denford encouraged her to rekindle the artistic endeavours of her younger days and to "paint out the past" through art therapy. During this time France developed a close friendship with artist and critic Rodney Kennedy, who introduced her to a wide circle of artists and writers including Colin McCahon, Toss Woollaston, Ralph Hotere and younger painters, in particular Jeffrey Harris. Her early works were abstract but as her style evolved the interconnections between people and their environment became a theme she frequently explored. Her skill as an artist enabled her to express with just a few deft brushstrokes, the complexities of human relationships. France also produced many flower studies – the vibrant colours and painterly treatment of the medium seen in these works suggest the influence of the Impressionists and Odilon Redon.


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