PORTRAIT OF HAROLD SMITH BY JO SWEATMAN, OIL ON CANVAS BOARD, 58 x 77cm, 72 x 91cm.

Estelle Mary (Jo) Sweatman (1872-1956)

Sweatman was born in South Yarra in 1872. She took drawing classes at a suburban ladies' college, and was recommended by her teacher to join the National Gallery School, where she studied for two years under Frederick McCubbin. She also studied painting while at the school with Bernard Hall.

Career

Sweatman taught at Melbourne Girls Grammar, where Clarice Beckett was one of her pupils.[4]

She was initially involved with the Victorian Artists' Society but her support for Max Meldrum eventually led to her being ousted along with friend A.M.E Bale. She started her career painting portraits but her love of nature and a move to Warrandyte prompted a concentration on landscape, with an exhibition at the Melbourne Athenaeum in 1929.

Miss Jo Sweatman, the Melbourne artist, is one who delights to paint the beauties of nature as she finds them on a bush track.

Building her house 'The Kipsy' next door to fellow artist Clara Southern.  They both took an active role in developing the artistic community in Warrandyte, Victoria. She helped establish annual art exhibitions with the Warrandyte Women's Auxiliary Association, serving on a committee of resident artists as secretary.

Sweatman was a founding member of the group, Twenty Melbourne Painters Society, that was formed by students and followers of Australian Tonalist Max Meldrum. Sweatman was considered to be one of Australia's most famous painters of wattle.[9]

In 1922 Sweatman was a finalist for the Archibald Prize the for her Portrait Miss A.M.E. Bale. The same year A.M.E Bale was a finalist with her portrait of Miss Jo Sweatman. Sweatman died in 1956.