Russell Harvey - South African Artist, Oil Paintings, Sculptures 1904 - 1963

Russell Harvey was born in Klerksdorp, South Africa 1904 - 1963

Art Education
- Russell Harvey studied commercial art by correspondence with London poster-designer, John Hassall; Evening art classes at old Cape Town Art School.
- 1925 Studied sculpture under HV Meyerowitz at newly-established Michaelis School.
- 1926 Six months art study-tour in London.

Short Artist Biography
- Russell Harvey was the son of a magistrate.
- 1922 Family purchased a small farm at Gordon's Bay, remained in the Western Cape until the end of his life; began art studies by correspondence while employed as bank clerk at Smithfield, Free State.
- 1925 to 1930 Russell Harvey began his art career as a freelance designer; served as a deck-hand on steamship to get to London to further his art studies.
- 1930 to 1932 Worked on the art staff of the Cape Times.
- 1932 to 1944 Appointed designer and subsequently director of the firm J Walter Thompson; painted during all this time but extremely reticent regarding public art exhibitions; close friend of Wolf Kibel.
- 1944 to 1951 Russell Harvey retired from employment to become a painter, sculptor and freelance designer.
- 1951 to 1963 Lectured at Michaelis school.
- 1958 Won fourth prize on Unievleis National Competition
- 1960 Russell Harvey was responsible for the murals in the Cape Pavilion at the Union Festival.

Art Exhibitions
- Occasional group-exhibits in Cape Town.
- 1938 Two-man art exhibition with Lippy Lipschitz, Cape Town.
- 1944 Russell Harvey's only one-man exhibition.
- 1964 Memorial Exhibition, South African National Art Gallery Cape Town.

Public Art Collections
South African National Art Gallery Cape Town, Rembrandt Art Foundation.

Source
Berman, E. 1994. Art & Artists of South Africa . Southern Book Publishers.

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