Horace TrenneryPrint Page 
The plaque at the gravesite commemorates the painter, Horace Hurtle Trennery (1899 - 1958).
Horace Trenerry was born in South Australia, and spent all but a few months of his life in this State. Consequently, most of the instruction he received came from a succession of teachers in Adelaide. He did move to Sydney for a brief period in 1922, and attended the Julian Ashton School, where he met Elioth Gruner and other well-known artists of the time. On returning to Adelaide, Trenerry took up residence in the Adelaide Hills, where he formed a friendship with Hans Heysen who was to have an important influence on Trenerry's work.
Painting still-life studies and landscapes, Trenerry observed nature at close hand as he roved the Adelaide Hills, revelling in the spontaneity and freshness of ever-changing outdoor scenes.
Trenerry later resided in the Willunga area, a district which was also loved by Ursula and Edward Hayward in the post-war years. The Haywards became great supporters and friends of the artist, particularly in his later years when he was no longer able to paint and had to enter the Home for Incurables in Adelaide in 1951. In September 1953 a retrospective exhibition was organized at John Martin & Company gallery which he attended in a wheelchair. Trenerry died, unmarried, on 10 January 1958.
Location
| Address: | 161 West Terrace, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, 5000 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.933331 Long: 138.587557 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Link: | http://adb.anu.edu.au/ |
Dedication
Horace Trennery
Painter
1899 - 1958.
Placed by the Royal S. A. Society of Arts
Horace Hurtle Trenerry (1899 - 1958)
An artistic talent unrecognised in his lifetime
The name Horace Trenerry may be virtually unknown outside of artistic circles, but critics have compared his talent with that of Van Gogh and Monet.
Adelaide-born Trennery moved to the Adelaide Hills as a young adult and developed a friendship with Hans Heysen, who was to have an important influence on his work.
One of Trenerry`s earliest works, Hay Stooks, won a gold star from the Royal Drawing Society in London in 1920. But besides this, he received little other recognition in his lifetime.
Trenerry`s works capture the ever-changing landscape of the Adelaide Hills, Flinders Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula. Modern critics praise his use of colour and distinctive style of chalky, boldly designed images; placing him among the finest Australian landscape painters of his time.
Trennery died from Huntington`s Chorea, aged 59, in poverty and anonymity.
After his death, two of Trenerry`s works were included in the Tate Gallery`s exhibition of Australian painting in 1962 - 63, belatedly giving him the recognition he deserved.
