William Dobell studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney before heading overseas in 1929. In London, he trained at the Slade School and with William Orpen, and made his own study of works by artists such as Rembrandt, Turner, Van Gogh and Ingres. He subsequently became known for portraits in which likeness and character were potently yet expressively evoked. Having recovered from the damage inflicted by a legal challenge to his win in the 1943 Archibald Prize, Dobell went on to create some of the best Australian portraits of the twentieth century, his sitters including artist Margaret Olley, cosmetics magnate Helena Rubinstein and writer Mary Gilmore.
In 1960, a year after his third Archibald win, Time magazine commissioned Dobell to create a portrait of then prime minister Sir Robert Menzies (1894–1978). Dobell had less than a fortnight to create the work and was able to secure only two sittings during which he made a number of 'small watercolour paintings' like this one. 'I think altogether I had about 40 minutes with the Prime Minister … and I think I got a fairly good job done in the time allowed me.' The finished portrait – now held by the Art Gallery of New South Wales – was the cover image of Time for 4 April 1960.
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 1999
© William Dobell/Copyright Agency, 2023
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