John Peter Russell, one of Australia’s most significant Impressionist painters, was born into a wealthy engineering family before leaving his homeland for London in 1880, at the age of 22, to study at the Slade School of Art. Driven by artistic ambition, he moved to Paris in 1884, where he immersed himself in the vibrant avant-garde of the late nineteenth century. Through his friendships with artists such as Auguste Rodin, Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, as well as his exposure to exhibitions at the École des Beaux-Arts and the influential gallery of Paul Durand-Ruel, Russell encountered Impressionism at a pivotal moment in its development. His close engagement with these pioneering figures helped shape his distinctive approach to colour and light, establishing him as an important link between Australian art and the European Impressionist movement.