William Beckwith McInnes (18 May 1889 – 9 November 1939) was an Australian portrait painter, winner of the Archibald Prize seven times for his work. He was acting-director at the National Gallery of Victoria and an instructor in its art school.
Early life McInnes was born in St Kilda, a suburb of Melbourne, to Malcolm McInnes and his wife Alice Agnes, née Beckwith. Despite lack of family artistic tradition, he was keen to draw from the time he could hold a pencil. In 1903, at 14 years of age, he enrolled in the drawing school of the National Gallery of Victoria under Frederick McCubbin. Later he moved up to the painting school under Lindsay Bernard Hall.
Artistic career Amongst the many portraits by McInnes were those of the surgeons Archibald Watson and Wood Jones.
McInnes' artwork is featured at the Art Gallery of South Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW. In addition, McInnes has painted a variety of important people in Australian history including officials and aristocratic families.
Late life McInnes suffered from an imperfect heart all his life. On 30 November 1937 around midnight the car he was driving struck and killed a pedestrian, James Lowrey, on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. At the inquest evidence was brought forward that a drug (Luminal) he was taking for the condition could have affected his driving and been responsible for his staggering and not remembering details of the accident. He was not convicted of any offence.
McInnes' Archibald Prize winners 1921 - Desbrowe AnnearWinner: Archibald Prize 1921, Art Gallery of NSW.(AGNSW Collection entry) 1922 - Professor Harrison MooreWinner: Archibald Prize 1922, Art Gallery of NSW 1923 - Portrait of a LadyWinner: Archibald Prize 1923, Art Gallery of NSW.(AGNSW Collection entry) 1924 - Miss CollinsWinner: Archibald Prize 1924, Art Gallery of NSW Miss Gladys Neville Collins (1891–1960) was the daughter of J.T. Collins, lawyer, Victorian State Parliamentary draughtsman, and trustee of the Public Library, Museums and National Gallery of Victoria. She was also painted and drawn by George W Lambert: The white glove 1921, Lambert Retrospective, nga.gov.au; Head study of Miss Gladys Neville Collins 1922, George W. Lambert, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. The portrait was purchased by the Art Gallery of South Australia in 1930 and is on public display at the AGSA. 1926 - Silk and Lace (Miss Esther Paterson)Winner: Archibald Prize 1926, Art Gallery of NSW.(AGNSW Collection entry) 1930 - Drum-Major Harry McClellandWinner: Archibald Prize 1930, Art Gallery of NSW Harry McClelland (1884–1954) was an artist and philanthropist living south of Melbourne with a hobby as a pipe band leader. McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery, mcclellandgallery.com; ; 1936 - Dr. Julian SmithWinner: Archibald Prize 1936, Art Gallery of NSW Dr Julian Augustus Smith (1873–1947) was a surgeon and photographer. First published in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 11, (MUP), 1988.
McInnes also won the Wynne Prize in 1918 with The Grey Road.
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Example of his work