John Peter Russell (Australian 1858-1930)
Trained at the Slade School in London under Legros in 1881-82 and 1883-84, at the Cormon Academy in Paris from 1886-87. He met and befriended artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Bernard, Guillaumin, Anquetin, became acquainted with Van Gogh, Rodin and Monet.
He married Rodin's favourite model, Marianne Antoinette Matiocco and they settled in Belle-Ille on the coast of Brittany. During that period Russell produced his greatest works and his artistic maturity reached a climax. After the early death of his wife in 1908, he travelled around Europe painting mostly watercolours.
Russell is represented by countless works in all the major Australian museums and public collections as well as in the Stedejik Museum in Amsterdam.
