Theodora Cowan

Theodora Esther Cowan (Theo) (1868–1949) was an Australian artist, regarded as the first Australian-born woman sculptor. She was one of a number of women sculptors who were working at the end of the 19th century. Apart from being the first to be born in Australia, Cowan (along with Margaret Baskerville) was among the first to achieve success, especially for her portrait work.

Biography Cowan was born at Richmond Villa in The Domain, Sydney and began her training in Sydney at the Sydney Technical College with Lucien Henry before moving to Italy in 1889 with her parents, and Augusto Rivalta, where she "acquired the technique of her art". Cowan was one of a number of young Australian sculptors, including Bertram Mackennal, who had gone to Europe to study in the early years of the 20th century.

In Italy Cowan met prominent people such as Pietro Mascagni, Ouida and the American sculptor Harriet Hosmer. In 1895, Cowan returned to Sydney and established a studio in the Strand Arcade. She found there was some prejudice against women sculptors and explained that she was "in the position of a pioneer".

When Cowan died in a private hospital in Vaucluse on 27 August 1949, her address was Osiris 84 Berry Street, North Sydney. The probate value on her estate was £5047. and again in 1925. After her return to Sydney in 1913, Cowan worked on commissions for various organisations such as the Government of New South Wales, the Chamber of Manufacturers and a small bust of Dr. Hinder (father of Frank Hinder) for the Western Suburbs Hospital. In Sydney, she was a regular exhibitor at the Society of Artists for which organisation she was a Council member from 1897 to 1898, Other well-known, notable subjects included Sir Gilbert Parker, Sir Edmund Barton (first Prime Minister of Australia), Sir Henry Parkes, and a full-length statuette of Mrs. Brown-Potter. Her work is represented in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Parliament House, Canberra.

The bust of Eccleston du Faur (third President of the Board of trustees of the Art Gallery) In 1902 in London she was given a commission for a bust in marble of Egyptologist Flinders Petrie, who was the grandson of explorer Matthew Flinders.

Awards 1899 – Society of Artists' Spring Exhibition (showing her bust of Sir Edmund Barton) In 1900, she was in London where she held a successful solo exhibition at the Grafton Gallery 1907 – London Exhibition of Work by Women Artists (First Prize) 1908 – Franco-British Exhibition (gold medal for Will-o-the-Wisp – the best piece of child portraiture)