Ernest William Christmas
An Australian painter who traded his homeland's bush for the volcanic peaks and tropical shores of Hawaii, finding his definitive style.
1863–1918 (age 55)·Australian painter·Birthday: January 28·The Gilded Age
Biography
Ernest William Christmas was born in Adelaide, a landscape that initially shaped his artistic vision. After early training in Australia, he embarked on a lifelong journey, becoming a painter of the Pacific world. He studied in Paris, traveled through Europe, and spent significant time in South America, but it was his final move to Hawaii that crystallized his art. Arriving in the islands, Christmas found a subject that matched his bold, post-impressionist sensibility. His Hawaiian canvases are drenched in vivid color, capturing the dramatic contrast of black lava rock against lush green foliage and brilliant blue sea. While he painted volcanos, cliffs, and coastal scenes, he often omitted human figures, letting the raw, powerful landscape speak for itself. Though he died relatively young in Honolulu, his Hawaiian period produced his most recognized and sought-after work, securing his place as a significant interpreter of the islands' unique beauty for the art world.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Ernest was born in 1863, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ernest Was Born
The biggest hits of 1863
Ernest's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1863Born
President: Abraham Lincoln
1868Started school
President: Andrew Johnson
1876Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Could drive
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Turned 21
President: Chester A. Arthur
1893Turned 30
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 40
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 50
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Died at 55
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
Key Achievements
- Painted a definitive series of landscapes of Hawaii, which are now held in major museums like the Honolulu Museum of Art.
- Exhibited his work at the Paris Salon and other prestigious European venues, gaining international recognition.
- His paintings are noted for their vibrant color and dramatic compositions of volcanic Hawaiian scenery.
- Had his work acquired by important collectors of Pacific and Australian art during his lifetime.
Did You Know?
He was a direct descendant of the famous English circumnavigator Captain James Cook's brother.
Christmas served as an official war artist for Australia during World War I.
He lived and worked in a studio on the slopes of Diamond Head in Honolulu.
Despite being known for Hawaiian scenes, he also painted notable landscapes of Chile and Argentina.
“The light on the South Australian coast is a different gold than the light in Tahiti.”
