Hans Heysen

Portrait of South Australian artist, Hans Heysen

Harold Cazneaux was born in New Zealand in 1878. His family moved to Sydney in 1887 and then to Adelaide two years later. At the age of 18, Cazneaux began his photographic career at Hammer Photographic Studios in Rundle Street, working as an artist-retoucher alongside his father who was employed as a portraitist.

Cazneaux also began to take classes at the Adelaide School of Design under Henry Pelham Gill, whose students included Margaret Preston and Hans Heysen.

In 1904, Cazneaux moved to Sydney and began work at his father's former studio, Freeman Brothers. He was never fulfilled by studio photographic work as he wished to use photography to express himself artistically and began to take photos around Sydney in his spare time. Cazneaux won several awards for his work, including first prize in 'A Kodak Happy Moment' competition in 1914. He produced a wide diversity of photographs ranging from portraits of well known people to landscapes, and images for books and magazines. In 1918 Cazneaux established his own business and quickly gained commissions. The following year he was engaged by Sydney Ure Smith the publisher of a new 'high-class social magazine the Home' (Cazneaux, 1978, p. ix).

Through this work he met and photographed many people in the artistic and literary worlds. Hans Heysen was part of this circle of people but they also shared a common love of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Cazneaux was innovative in his use of natural light and settings, his work had a freshness despite careful composition. Light and shadow played an important role in his work, including in his portrait work.

Heysen was a noted 20th century painter, particularly well-known for his depiction of the Australian landscape and its eucalyptus trees. He established a studio in Adelaide in 1904 and in 1912 purchased 'The Cedars', a property near Hahndorf at which Heysen would build a studio and live and work until his death.

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