Letters reveal Nora’s fear of being a Heysen
Hills art historian Catherine Speck can remember being intrigued by the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize.
That spark of interest, ignited during her research in the 1980s, was fanned into a fascination with the famous portrait and still life artist, Nora Heysen, that led to years of study.
It has now culminated in a book that takes an intimate look at the life and relationship of the artist and her famous father, Sir Hans Heysen, through decades of correspondence between them.
“I was intrigued by Nora being the first woman to win the Archibald and I set about trying to find that painting,” Dr Speck said.