After Dionysus

John McCormack Farmer (1897-1989) was born in Brunswick, Melbourne in 1897 and became the youngest member of the Max Meldrum Group which broke away from the VAS in 1918 when his supporters failed to have Meldrum elected VAS President. Nevertheless in later years Farmer returned as a VAS member and contributed regularly to VAS Exhibitions. He attended the National Gallery School from 1914 where he met his future wife Polly Hurry (1883-1963), herself a notable tonalist and a co-founder of the Australian Tonalists and 20 Melbourne Painters. Farmer left the National School in 1921 after his marriage and with he and his wife travelled and painted through China, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. Upon their return to Australia they established an Art School in Olinda where Farmer spent his time teaching and painting portraits, landscapes and still life. Further overseas travels throughout Europe during the 1920s allowed Farmer to observe and study the work of some of his most admired artists e.g. Barbizon School (Corot) and J.M.W. Turner. In London Farmer succeeded in exhibiting at the Royal Academy selling his Still Life to a Dutch collector who found Farmer’s work a modern reflection of the “best qualities of the 17th century Dutch Masters".