W Woolmore Collection - Australian Groups

Lot 3571    SESSION 13 (2.30PM THURSDAY 21ST NOV)    W Woolmore Collection - Australian Groups

Estimate $5,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $4,400

GROUP OF SIX: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Officer) (Civil) (type 2) (OBE); Distinguished Conduct Medal (GVR); 1914-15 Star; British War Medal 1914-18; Victory Medal 1914-19; Jubilee Medal 1935. First and last medals unnamed as issued, 1226 L.Sjt. C.A.Wheeler 22/R.Fus: on second medal, K-1226 Cpl. C.A.Wheeler. R.Fus. on third medal, K-1226 Sjt. C.A.Wheeler. R.Fus. on fourth and fifth medals. All named medals impressed. Display mounted, extremely fine.

Together with matching group of swing mounted miniatures; embroidered Sergeant's stripes (1); Royal Fusiliers hat badge (KC); RF metal titles (2); exploding cannonball collar badges (2); Marksman embroidered badge; DCM riband; note from CO 2nd Division recognising L/Sgt Wheeler's gallantry; certified copy of Attestation paper; various other military related documents and passes; handwritten envelope posted from Australia and letter on letterhead for National Gallery, Melbourne and dated June 25th 1916 from L. Bernard Hall, the Gallery Director and head of the Art School, congratulating Wheeler on winning the DCM; a few b&w photos; Certificate of Demobilization dated 27February 1918; also a small silver shield (33x33.5mm), obverse inscribed in centre, 'JTE', reverse inscribed diagonally, 'Well earned/by Jack Taylor/for Noble Services/rendered/to The Artists/over a period/of years' (stated to have belonged to Mr Jack Taylor of the Melbourne Savage Club. Wheeler was President of the Savage Club, Melbourne 1945-47).

OBE: Supplement to LG 7/6/1951, p3097, to Charles Wheeler ESQ., D.C.M. - For services to Art.

DCM: Supplement to LG 27/7/1916, p7453, to L/Sjt C.A.Wheeler, 22Bn, R.Fus.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry. He volunteered for and carried out two very risky reconnaissances after a successful assault by his company. Later he guided an officer of the R.A.M.C., and remained with him, under machine gun and rifle fire, till the last wounded man had been brought in.

Charles Arthur Wheeler, artist, age 33, residing at Stamford Bridge Studios, Chelsea, England; attested 16Nov1914 at Shepherds Bush in Royal Fusiliers; Transfer to Reserve 27Feb1918.

Charles Arthur Wheeler was born on 4 January 1880 at Dunedin, New Zealand. After his father died his mother moved the family to Williamstown, Melbourne in about 1891. In 1895 Charles was apprenticed as a lithographic artist and the following year began part-time study at the Working Men's College. In 1898 he began drawing classes at the National Gallery schools under Frederick McCubbin and in 1905 he joined the painting class conducted by L. Bernard Hall. He held his first one-man art show under Wheeler and in 1910 his painting, 'The Portfolio', was purchased by the National Art Gallery of New South Wales and another, 'The Poem' was acquired by the National Gallery of Victoria.

In 1912 Wheeler travelled to London and on the trip visited Paris and the Prado in Madrid to see the work of Velazquez. The next year he exhibited 'Le Printemps' at the Salon de la Societe des Artistes Francais in Paris and then travelled to the Netherlands. When WWI broke out he served with distinction in the Royal Fusiliers being awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal but when offered a commission he refused preferring to remain a Sergeant.

After being demobilized he returned to his studio at Chelsea and exhibited his paintings, 'Autumn Afternoon' and 'Golden Hours' at the Royal Academy of Arts, London. He then returned to Melbourne and held an exhibition at the Athenaeum Gallery in March 1920. During the next several years he became a private teacher of drawing and painting and in 1927 was appointed assistant drawing instructor at the National Gallery in 1927 and drawing-master in 1935. It was during these years that his artwork was most popular, especially his nudes. He was also a competent portrait and landscape artist and won the New South Wales Art Quest prize in 1929, the George Crouch prize in 1932 and 1934, and the Archibald prize in 1933. In 1939-45 he was painting-master and head of the gallery schools and in 1951 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contribution to art. Charles Wheeler held his final show at the Athenaeum Gallery in November 1970 and he died at Melbourne on 26 October 1977 at age 97. His artworks are held in various State galleries, also the Australian National War Memorial at Canberra, the University of Melbourne and the Castlemaine Art Gallery. (See lot 3589 in this sale for his original portrait of Captain John A. Collins C.B., RAN, Captain of HMAS Sydney Nov 1939 to 15 May 1941).

With research.