Eliezer Levi Montefiore ( 1820 - 1894)

Montefiore was a sketcher, etcher, art patron, gallery director & businessman. Born in Barbados and educated in London, he travelled to South Australia in 1843 and then to Sydney in 1852. He was then sent to Melbourne to represent the family business & soon became friends with other well-known colonial painters. Moving back to Sydney he was one of the first trustees of the NSW Art Gallery & became the director in 1892. Through his perception the gallery began to buy Australian art.