ALFRED ROLAND COFFEY (1869 - 1950)

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Alfred Roland Coffey (1869-1950) was one of Australia’s finest painters in the early 20th century. He studied at the Art Society of NSW, winning several prizes, later becoming a teacher. Among the pupils he mentored was a young Grace Cossington Smith. In May 1923 he became the first Australian artist to visit and paint in the Dutch East Indies, travelling to Borneo, Java, Bali and the Celebes where he was interested in the local cultures.