Born in England in 1833, Short was the son of artist, Henry Short. He arrived in Australia in 1851 and settled in Victoria, where, after a time at the goldfields, returned to Melbourne to open a photography studio from 1852 to 1880. A member of the Victorian Academy of Arts, he exhibited oil landscapes until the turn of the century when he concentrated on watercolours. Early in his career he signed his work Short Junr, but later used William or Wm. Short. His works are widely represented in Victorian provincial collections.
The earliest auction listing we have for William Short, Senior is in 1971 and in total 172 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 127 (74%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $18,400 for The Yarra Bend from Studley Park 1861 sold by Sotheby's in April 1995. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2022.
William Short, Senior 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…
No, ineligible. The artist has been deceased for more than 70 years.
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