PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Auckland Traditional & Contemporary Art, International Art Centre, 23/04/1996

EXHIBITED
Sydney Lough Thompson, At Home & Abroad Robert McDougall Art Gallery Christchurch, 1990

ILLUSTRATED
p. 122 Sydney Lough Thompson, At Home & Abroad, Julie King Robert McDougall Art Gallery 1990

AT HOME & ABROAD Four works by Sydney Lough Thompson 1877 - 1973

Canterbury born Sydney Lough Thompson studied with Van Der Velden in Christchurch from 1895-98 and attended Canterbury School of Art.

In 1899 Thompson left for England to study at Heatherley's Art School in London. In 1901 he was at the Julian Academy in Paris under the tutelage of Bouguereau, but was influenced greatly by the work of the Impressionists. He painted in Brittany in the holidays from 1902-03 exhibiting with The Royal Academy, London and the Paris Salon.

Thompson returned to New Zealand in 1905 and was appointed life master at the Canterbury School of Art from 1906-10. His work at this time was mainly portraits. He married and returned to Europe studying for one year under Lucien Simon in Paris. He then settled in Concarneau. From 1918 he spent winters in the south of France. In 1920 he exhibited a one man show in Paris.

He visited New Zealand from 1923-24 and gave some classes. Thompson then returned to France in 1925 where he painted mainly in the south. He returned to New Zealand in 1933 and became a great influence in art circles in Canterbury and was president of Canterbury Art Society in 1936. In 1937 he visited Europe once again, living in Brittany for 30 years until he came back to New Zealand in 1968.

In his last years Thompson and his wife spent time touring the South Island in their caravan, settling down in places where he found good painting subjects. He died on a visit to Brittany. His work was included in the 1940 Centennial Exhibition in Wellington. He is represented in public galleries throughout New Zealand.