Skip to main content

Temporary road closures will block vehicle access to our building on Sunday 13 April until 3:00pm.

Menu
What's on Prizes The Portraits Watch
The Gallery Governance & Board Circle of Friends
Learn Access Search the website
close close
What's on The Portraits The Gallery Learn Watch More O

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Francis Lymburner

c. 1946
Max Dupain OBE

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 30.4 cm x 24.9 cm, image: 30.4 cm x 22.6 cm)
Francis Lymburner

Francis Lymburner (1916-1972) was a Queensland-born artist. Just before the war he moved to Sydney, where he haunted Taronga Park Zoo, making a great number of drawings of animals. In his early twenties he contributed illustrations to the Home. In 1948, its publisher Sydney Ure Smith recognised his talent for drawing animals and published a book of his work, after which he achieved some success in Sydney. Throughout the 1950s he travelled and studied in Europe and the UK, living in England from 1952 to 1964, drawing in theatres, zoos and parks. He came back to Australia keen to exhibit, and Ure Smith published another volume of his drawings and paintings in 1965. However, the following year he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage, and never painted again. His work is held by most major Australian galleries.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.
2003.31
Currently not on display
Let me know when this portrait’s on display
Request a digital copy for publication

Artist and subject

Max Dupain OBE (age 35 in 1946)

Francis Lymburner (age 30 in 1946)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Supported by

Tim Fairfax AC (54 portraits supported)

Related portraits
(View all 97)

The photographer's shadow (Olive Cotton and Max Dupain)
Francis Lymburner
Max Dupain, Artamon, Sydney
David Moore, Max Dupain and John Gollings
1. The photographer's shadow (Olive Cotton and Max Dupain), c. 1935 (printed 1999) Olive Cotton. 2. Francis Lymburner, 1941 Max Dupain OBE. 3. Max Dupain, Artamon, Sydney, 1979 (printed 2000) David Moore. © Lisa, Michael, Matthew and Joshua Moore
http://davidmoorephotography.com.au/. 4. David Moore, Max Dupain and John Gollings, 1980 (printed 2001) Kate Gollings. © Estate of Kate Gollings.

Related information

Children participating in Little Faces
Children participating in Little Faces
Children participating in Little Faces
Children participating in Little Faces

Little Faces

9:30am, Fri 11 Apr – Fri 16 May

Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.
Art cart drawing activities for The Immersive World of Thom Roberts
Art cart drawing activities for The Immersive World of Thom Roberts
Art cart drawing activities for The Immersive World of Thom Roberts
Art cart drawing activities for The Immersive World of Thom Roberts

Art cart

Thom Roberts

10:00am, Sat 12 Apr

Drop into the Gallery any time for free creative activities inspired by artist Thom Roberts and his exhibition, The Immersive World of Thom Roberts.
A mother and daughter participating in Portrait Play
A mother and daughter participating in Portrait Play
A mother and daughter participating in Portrait Play
A mother and daughter participating in Portrait Play

Portrait Play

Face the music

11:00am, Mon 14 Apr – Thu 24 Apr

Join us for Portrait Play these school holidays as we explore portraits and music. Come and meet the people that live on our walls, discover musical instruments hidden in the portraits and get creative on your journey through the galleries.
Home Contact Media Privacy statement User agreement Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency