Frances Mary Hodgkins (28 April 1869 – 13 May 1947) was a painter chiefly of landscape and still life, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. She was born in New Zealand, but spent most of her working life in Britain. She is considered one of New Zealand's most prestigious and influential painters, although it is the work from her life in Europe, rather than her home country, on which her reputation rests.

Life

Hodgkins was born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1869, the daughter of W. M. Hodgkins, a lawyer, amateur painter, and a leading figure in the city's art circles.

As a girl she attended Braemar House, a private girls' secondary school. She first exhibited in 1890, although she felt overshadowed by her sister, Isabel. In 1893 she became a student of Girolamo Nerli who inspired her first successes. It has been suggested this is where she first met Dorothy Kate Richmond (1860–1935). In 1895–96 she attended the Dunedin School of Art. Her watercolor painting won early recognition.