The Boyds: A Family Biography

by Brenda Niall

The Boyd family is Australia’s most remarkable artistic dynasty. For over four generations the family has produced painters, architects, and sculptors of international standing. This family biography traces the emergence of an extraordinary artistic tradition and analyzes the distinctive family values that have sustained it. Not merely an art history or a coffee table book, this is a detailed, imaginatively written history of Australia’s most creative and distinctive artistic family.

Genres: Art, Biography, Australia

514 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Brenda Niall is one of Australia’s foremost biographers. She is the author of several award-winning biographies, including her acclaimed accounts of the Boyd family and her portrait of the Durack sisters, True North. In 2016 she won the Australian Literature Society’s Gold Medal and the National Biography Award for Mannix. In 2004 she was awarded the Order of Australia for ‘services to Australian literature, as an academic, biographer and literary critic’.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It gave me a great insight into the Boyd family and their artistic backgrounds. It was warm and engaging to read, creating a great sense of the character of each of the Boyd artists. The family tree at the start of the book was most helpful as a reference point, particularly early on in the book.

[Shula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of it's interesting....

[Ann Koenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about the Boyd artists particularly as so mush of their stories are set in Melbourne.

[Denise Tannock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an interesting book about this famous artistic family. I loved to see the family tree and the diverse ancestors, especially the convict who made squillions when he was freed.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

l enjoyed this reflective history of the Boyd family through the generations. Arthur,David,Guy,Robin are all described as well as their forebears. l was interested in their forebears as well as Niall placing them within the context of the Heidi set. it would seem the Boys associated with the artists of this era but were not part of the Heidi "alternate culture".

lf you are interested in art then this is a good read.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this detailed history of the Boyd family. Wonderful glimpses of the family life of these talented artists amidst a fascinating account of Melbourne's early history. Being a bayside local I particularly enjoyed references to local landmarks, e.g., the beautiful Church st home where the Boyd children would enjoy "Wilton Sundays"

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this ages ago, and re-read it when I re-read The Cardboard Crown. Wonderful!