Hildegarde Read
New Zealand painter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hildegarde Egmont Read (née Dixon, 1892–1988) was a New Zealand painter associated with the early twentieth-century art scene in Auckland.[1] Her work is held in the collection of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.[2]
History
Read was born in Stratford, New Zealand, in 1892.[3] Read studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts, alongside Bruce Roughton, Guy Mountain, Jocelyn Wilkie, and Samuel Marsh Williams.[4] Read also studied at the Royal College of Art in London. One of her artworks exhibited in the Auckland Society of Arts1929 exhibition was purchased for the City Art Gallery by the Auckland City Council. The work purchased was a "spirited sketch in sepia of the male figure."[5] One of Read's charcoal drawings was reproduced in the English art monthly The Studio.[6] In 1940, Read married Bert Read, and they lived in Grey Lynn, Auckland.[7]
Personal Life
In 1940, Hildegarde Dixon married Bert Read, after which she became known as Hildegarde Read. The couple lived in the Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn.[8] Later in life, Read demonstrated a strong commitment to charitable causes. Her estate supported organizations such as World Vision New Zealand, The Leprosy Mission New Zealand, and environmental and animal protection groups.[8]
