An Australian Impressionist in France
Born in Melbourne, Iso Rae was an Australian-born impressionist painter who spent much of her life in Europe. After training at the National Gallery of Victoria Art School, she traveled to France in 1887 with her family. She became a long-term resident of the Étaples art colony in northern coastal France, living in or near the village from the 1890s until the 1930s. During her career, she exhibited her works at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Society of Oil Painters, and the Paris Salon.
Her artistic output included landscapes and scenes of everyday life. During World War I, Rae served as a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment and worked at the Étaples Army Base Camp. During this period, she documented the experience of the war through over two hundred drawings, many of which portrayed nocturnal scenes of the camp.
Later Years and Legacy
Following the rise of Hitler, Rae moved to south-eastern England. She eventually settled in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, before her death in 1940. Her works are held in several collections, including:
