The artist that time forgot

There's one artist that rarely gets a mention when people talk about Tom Roberts. It's always about Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and Frederick McCubbin. That artist is Tom's own wife, Lillie Roberts.

Tom first met Lillie when he was 22 and visiting a cousin in Tasmania. She was an 18 year-old artistic dynamo. After enrolling at the National Gallery School in Melbourne in 1880, she went on to exhibit paintings at Victorian Artist's Society exhibitions. Although they met when she was young they didn't marry until Tom was 40 and Lillie 35! Instead she travelled the world, occasionally mentioning Tom when writing home to friends and family.

Later in her career she turned her talent to carving and gilding frames, something she would became renowned for and won her numerous awards. Princess Louise, one of Queen Victoria's daughters, bought one of her frames from an Arts & Crafts exhibition in London. She was also awarded a medal at the Imperial International Exhibition at Shepherd's Bush. Through her beautiful frames Tom and Lillie were able to collaborate and several of Tom's works were hung at the Royal Academy in Lillie's frames.

Throughout their life together Lillie actively encouraged Tom to be the best possible artist, traveling with him on painting trips and even sending him back to Australia for artistic inspiration in 1919. Lillie's strength of character and talent, as well as her involvement in art meant she had a genuine understanding of Tom's work.