Theodore Penleigh Boyd was born on 15th August 1890 at Penleigh House, Westbury, Wiltshire, England.[1] He was the second son of Arthur Merric Boyd and Minnie a'Beckett, well-known artists of the day, and his brothers included the ceramicist Merric Boyd (1888–1959) and the novelist Martin Boyd (1893–1972). His son Robin Boyd (1919–1971) became a famous and influential architect, educator and social commentator, and his nephews Arthur Boyd, Guy Boyd and David Boyd became prominent artists.
Penleigh is best known as a landscape artist with an accomplished handling of evanescent effects of light. He received his artistic training from his parents and at the National Gallery Art School. He had his first exhibition at the Victorian Artists' Society at 18, and exhibited at the Royal Academy, London at 21.
He met Edith Anderson, ten years his senior, at the time modelling in Paris and they married there on 15th October 1912. The couple returned to Australia in 1913 and settled in Melbourne. In 1914, with his painting career flourishing, Penleigh purchased a block of land at Warrandyte and built a family home and studio that he named, "The Robins". They had three children:
After he was gassed at Ypres in 1917, which left him with lasting physical problems, he was invalided back to England and then repatriated to Australia 30th January 1918; being discharged in March 1918.[2] Both brothers also survived the war.
In 1922 Penleigh and Edith moved the boys to Sydney; and then to England to select paintings for a major exhibition of contemporary European art. He returned to Australia without his family in June 1923 to set up the exhibition, which was staged in Sydney and Melbourne in July–August. Whilst alone, Penleigh conducted an open affair with fellow-artist, Minna Schuler. Penleigh even exhibited a portrait of Minna at that year's Victorian Artists' Association Exhibition.[3]
On 28th November 1923, four days after his wife and boys returned from England, Penleigh was killed near Warragul, Victoria in an automobile accident in which he was driving his Hudson tourer.[4]
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Categories: Australia, Artists | Anzacs, World War I | Wounded in Action, Australia, World War I