Conrad Martens

Born in London in 1801, Conrad Martens took up painting at 16 as an apprentice to watercolourist Copley Fielding. Focusing on landscapes, Martens was well suited to join the voyage of HMS HYACINTH for a three-year voyage to India. It was while the ship was in Rio de Janeiro that Martens transferred to join the scientific expedition of HMS BEAGLE, replacing Augustus Earle as the ship's artist. The BEAGLE expedition was undertaking a scientific survey of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego and on board Martens befriended the naturalist Charles Darwin.

Martens remained with the BEAGLE until 1834 when he left the voyage in Valparaiso and travelled to Australia via New Zealand and Tahiti. He established a studio in Pitt Street, Sydney, where he focused on watercolour views of the growing town and its surrounds.

Martens remained in Australia until his death in 1878. He worked on a number of commissions and served for a time as the parliamentary librarian and president of the Sydney Sketching Club. He remained living in Sydney for the rest his life and was one of the few and earliest commercial artists to settle permanently in Australia.