Bunyan in Prison - Folingsby, George Frederick (Australian painter and illustrator, 1830-1891) (My University, 1978)
George Frederick Folingsby was born in Wicklow, Ireland in 1830 and moved to Canada and subsequently New York at the age of 18. He was employed as an illustrator before touring throughout Europe, Asia, Turkey and Greece to study drawing. In 1862 he sent two pictures to the Royal Hibernian Academy: 'The Relief of Derry' and 'William of Orange receiving the Keys from the Govenor of Carrickfergus'. Following a 16 year residence in Munich, he was awarded 1st class medals for history painting in the Vienna Exhibition and in the Philadelphia Exhibition and moved to Australia in 1879 where he was appointed Director of the National Gallery of Victoria in 1884.Reports conflict as to his significance in Australian Art, although he seems to have been a profound influence on several members of the Heidelberg Group. (Astbury, p46.)
Keywords: Art, Australian; Bunyan, John, 1628-1688; Bunyan, John; Imprisonment; Prisons; Painting, Australian; Preaching; Victorian; history paintings