Charles Douglas Richardson (1853–1932), painter and sculptor, was born on 7 July 1853 in Islington, London, the second son of artist John Richardson (1818–1862) and his wife Mary Frances, née Holmes. The family emigrated to Victoria in 1858, joining John's brother, Thomas Elliott (1814–1869), a Presbyterian minister and editor of the Portland Guardian. John Richardson initially set up a studio in Portland but moved to St Kilda, Melbourne, in 1860.
Richardson was educated at Scotch College before studying design at the School of Design in Carlton from 1869. Between 1871 and 1873, while apprenticed to the lithographers De Gruchy & Leigh, he studied at the National Gallery of Victoria's School of Design under Thomas Clark, later continuing his studies under Oswald Campbell from 1878 to 1880. In 1880, Richardson, alongside fellow artist Tom Roberts, successfully advocated for the establishment of life classes at the Gallery. Between 1877 and 1881, Richardson exhibited works at the Victorian Academy of the Arts and contributed lithographs to the Australian Pictorial Almanac (1880).
In 1881, Richardson moved to London, enrolling in the Royal Academy of Arts schools for a six-year course. There, he shared a studio at times with Roberts and sculptor Bertram Mackennal. Richardson won several prizes for design and sculpture, including second and third prizes in the prestigious Armitage prizes in 1883 and 1884. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1885, showing The Passing of Arthur and a sculpture, The Wheelwright, followed by another sculpture, Mother and Child, in 1888. That same year, he traveled to Italy and France to further his artistic development.
Returning to Melbourne in 1889, Richardson exhibited academic paintings with the Victorian Artists' Society in May and participated in the landmark 9 x 5 Impressions exhibition in August, showing wax and painted impressions. From 1890 to 1897, he served as the director of the life class at the Victorian Artists' Society, continuing to exhibit both paintings and sculptures. In 1898, he co-founded the influential Yarra Sculptors' Society with Margaret Baskerville, Web Gilbert, and others. He completed a large bronze replica of John of Bologna’s Mercury for the Melbourne Age in 1899, followed by the highly praised sculpture The Cloud in 1900. Between 1902 and 1906, Richardson worked on a major commission for a marble group, The Discovery of Gold, which was installed in Bendigo.
Richardson married fellow artist Margaret Baskerville on 23 December 1914 at East Malvern. The couple collaborated on several artistic projects, including illustrating a booklet for the Red Cross, To the Women of the Empire. A Tribute (1918), and in 1922-24, they worked together on the bas-reliefs The Dance of the Hours for the foyer of the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne.
Throughout his career, Richardson not only taught drawing and sculpture but also completed a number of war memorials and commemorative medals. Despite a decline in popularity for Victorian-era art, which led to a reduction in his public recognition, Richardson was well-respected for the support he offered fellow artists, though he remained modest about his own achievements. He served as secretary of the Victorian Artists' Society before becoming its president from 1917 to 1924 and again from 1926 to 1930, where he was known for his diplomacy and popularity.
A man of Presbyterian faith, Richardson was also associated with 'spiritist' ideas and was a member of the Vegetarian Society of Victoria. After the death of his wife, Richardson passed away on 15 October 1932 in Brighton, without children, and was cremated. In 1931, he donated works by both himself and his wife to the Brighton City Council. A memorial exhibition of his work was held in 1933.