Edwin Arthur Vincent Sheldon (1895-1945), a Queensland-based printmaker, was educated in Brisbane and studied commercial art in the USA (1920) and England (1924). He worked as a freelance cartoonist in Brisbane in 1924-26 before taking up etching. He visited London in 1929 to learn drypoint under W. P. Robins at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, Holborn. The British Museum has three of his etchings, and the Victoria and Albert Museum two monotypes.
Back in Brisbane, Sheldon taught printmaking at his home at Clayfield. In 1931 he was elected a member of the Australian Painter-Etchers' Society. His drypoints of country scenes, and of Brisbane and its landmarks, were described in 1934 as being executed with 'rare skill' and 'joyous animation'.
His sister Jeanettie, an art dealer, enthusiastically supported his career, staging a number of exhibitions of his work.
He died on 19 July 1945 at Boolarong, near Caboolture, and was buried in Toowong cemetery. A memorial exhibition of his work was held in Brisbane in 1948. The University of Queensland holds a collection of Sheldon's prints, donated by Archbishop (Sir) James Duhig and Sheldon's widow, Cynthia, gave more than 200 of his works to the Queensland Art Gallery.
The above is a summary of a biography of (Edwin Arthur) Vincent Sheldon from the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition.
The etchings on this page were given to me in 1968 by the artist's wife Cynthia (aka Tinny) who was then living at Lane Cove. It was my first visit to Sydney, to attend a friend's wedding.
Measurements given refer to plate size.
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