Frank Mahony

Francis Prout Mahony, also known as Frank Mahony (4 December 1862 – 28 June 1916), was an Australian painter, watercolorist and illustrator. Although christened "Francis Mahony", he later added "Prout" and usually signed his work as "Frank P. Mahony". It is apparently unknown why he chose to add "Prout".

Biography

Mahony was born in Melbourne, third surviving child of Timothy Mahony, an Irish-born contractor, and his Cornish second wife Elizabeth, née Johns. He was taken to Sydney when 10 years old, where he started by working in an architect's office, then studied at the Academy of Art under Giulio Anivitti.

His oils were moderately successful. In 1889 his oil painting Rounding up a Straggler, was bought for the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

The political cartoonist Francis William 'Will' Mahony (1905–1982) was a son. He was born in England but had a career in Sydney, notably with the Daily Telegraph, until November 1944 when he was dismissed for refusing to draw a panel antagonistic to the striking miners. He later drew a strip cartoon for the Melbourne Argus.