**early life and training** fred williams, one of australia's most renowned artists, was born on january 23, 1927, in richmond, a suburb of melbourne. his early life led him to an apprenticeship with a company fitting out shops and making boxes. however, his true passion lay in the arts. at 16, he began taking classes at the national gallery school under william dargie, and later studied painting with george bell, a modernist painter. **artistic development and influences** williams' early work was characterized by small-scale figurative pieces, often depicting elements of london life and mus…