Dorothy Thornhill Britain, Australia, New Zealand, 1910-87
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Where to buy or sell art works by Dorothy Thornhill
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About Dorothy Thornhill
Born in England in 1910, Dorothy Thornhill studied at the Elam Art School in Auckland, then after moving to Sydney, she studied at East Sydney Technical College from 1929 to 1932. The following year she returned to England to study at the Royal Academy, and attending lectures at the Courtauld Institute. She returned to Sydney in 1934 and was appointed teacher of figure drawing at the National Art School, East Sydney Technical College, in 1937, a position she held for almost forty years. In 1941 she married artist Douglas Dundas (1900 – 1981). Thornhill had begun exhibiting with the Society of Artists in 1929 and was elected a member in 1942. As well as exhibiting frequently in group shows, she had two solo exhibitions at the Macquarie Galleries in 1940 and 1948 and a retrospective exhibition in 1977.
The total number of works by Dorothy Thornhill offered for sale by auction since 1987 is 96, of which 59 (61%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $34,440 for Neoclassical Nudes sold by Bonhams in April 2023. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by Dorothy Thornhill are held by the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of NSW and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
Dorothy Thornhill is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 951
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
- Australian Prints + Printmaking, a database listing printmaking artists from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region based on the print collection of the National Gallery of Australia.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
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