Neville Wran AC QC (1926–2014) was Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. Nicknamed 'Nifty Nev' because of his electoral success and skilful handling of the media, Wran initiated a raft of legal, social and cultural reforms. In 1983 he stood aside as premier while a Royal Commission investigated allegations of corruption. He was exonerated and resigned from politics in 1986. He and his second wife Jill Hickson AM (b. 1948) married in 1976. Formerly a literary agent, in 1983 Hickson founded Hickson Associates, which represented authors including Bryce Courtenay, Thomas Keneally and Kathy Lette. A longstanding supporter and former chair of the Historic Houses Trust, she served on many boards including those of the Sydney Opera House Trust and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Frank Hodgkinson's portraits reference two of the most famous artworks of the Italian Renaissance, the Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino 1465–1472 by Piero della Francesca. Depicting the couple against a Sydney Harbour backdrop, the portraits were made during Wran's term as premier.
Gift of Mrs Kate Hodgkinson 1999. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Frank Hodgkinson/Copyright Agency, 2022
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