Son of artist Charles Basil Norton, Frank Norton was born in New Zealand in 1916 and arrived in Australia in 1917. A marine painter, he studied painting at the East Sydney Technical College and in London. He worked on coal ships running between Sydney and Newcastle and sketched the naval ships bethed at Garden Island. He was the RAN's first official war artist during World War II. He later taught at the East Sydney Tech. He was appointed director of the Art Gallery of WA in 1958, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. Following his retirement he continued to sketch and paint the maritime subjects that he knew so well. He died in 1983.
Our database records art auction sales of works by Frank Norton from 1973 and in total 154 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 112 (73%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $7,475 for St. Georges Terrace sold by GFL Fine Art in May 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 Frank Norton are held by the Australian War Memorial, Art Gallery of Western Australia and a further three major public national galleries (see list below).
Charles (Frank) Norton is listed in the following standard biographical references:
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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