FIVEASH, ROSA CATHERINE (1854-1938), botanical artist, was born on 22 July 1854
in Adelaide, youngest child of Robert Archibald Fiveash, businessman and
superintendent of the Blinman and Yudanamutana copper-mines, and his wife
Margaret, née Rees. She was trained by Miss A. Benham and at the Adelaide School
of Art and Design in 1881-88, and then taught art privately and at Tormore House
School in North Adelaide for many years. In 1882 Rosa was invited to illustrate
The Forest Flora of South Australia by John Ednie Brown. Nine parts of this work,
which was never completed, were published in 1882-90. Each one contained five
attractive lithographs of native plants and Rosa drew 32 of the 45 published; they
were drawn as specimens came to hand, in no particular botanical order.
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Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
While studing at the Adelaide School of Design under H P Gill, Principal, and Louis Tannert, Master of the School of Painting, Rosa Fiveash chose to specialise in painting Australian flora. She was commissioned by the conservator of forests, John Ednie Brown, to illustrate his Forest Flora of Australia and orchidologist R S Rogers to illustrate his works on South Australian orchids. The Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and the State Herbarium have a collection of her original flower paintings. It was Fiveash who introduced the art of china painting to Adelaide.
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Australian Women's Register
A painter and etcher who lived her whole life in North Adelaide. An accomplished botanical illustrator and flower painter Fiveash was also a pioneer of china painting, responsible for introducing the technique to Adelaide.
painter, etcher, china painter, botanical illustrator and teacher, was born on 22 July 1854 in the family home, Gable House, North Adelaide.This entry is a stub. You can help DAAO by submitting a biography.
Flourished
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Design and Art Australia Online