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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.

Rosemary Madigan

1992
Greg Weight

gelatin silver photograph on paper (sheet: 40.4 cm x 50.4 cm, image: 35.2 cm x 45.5 cm)

Rosemary Madigan (1926–2019) was one of Australia's most respected sculptors. Born in Adelaide, she was one of the five children of geologist Cecil Madigan, who'd been a member of Douglas Mawson's 1911–13 Antarctic expedition and who later conducted significant explorations in the Simpson Desert. Her childhood home was filled with photographs of icebergs, and with her father's collection of artefacts, both of which sparked her 'desire to get close to objects'. She left school in her early teens and in 1940 went to Sydney to study sculpture at East Sydney Technical College. She was awarded the NSW Travelling Scholarship in 1950 and moved to London to undertake a diploma in carving at the John Cass College. She spent some time in Europe and India before returning to Adelaide in 1953. After her move to Sydney in the 1970s, Madigan reconnected with her art school acquaintance Robert Klippel and formed a richly creative personal partnership that lasted until Klippel's death in 2001. In later life Madigan lived in Yass, where she continued to work into her nineties.

Gift of Patrick Corrigan AM 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
© Gregory Weight/Copyright Agency, 2024

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.

Artist and subject

Greg Weight (age 46 in 1992)

Rosemary Madigan (age 66 in 1992)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Patrick Corrigan AM (130 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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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