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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.

Portrait of Brian Dunlop

c. 1972
Bryan Westwood

oil on canvas laid on cardboard (frame: 90.3 cm x 74.7 cm, support: 76.2 cm x 61.0 cm)

Brian Dunlop (1938-2009) won the Art Gallery of New South Wales's Le Gay Brereton Prize for Drawing as a student at East Sydney Technical College. In the 1960s he travelled and painted in Europe and London before returning to teach part-time at East Sydney. His first three solo exhibitions were mounted in Sydney between 1963 and 1966, after which he began to exhibit in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. Through the 1970s and early 1980s he exhibited often at the Macquarie Galleries. He won Canberra's Civic Permanent Art Award in 1976 and 1977, and the Sulman Prize in 1981. In the early 1980s, after a period as artist-in- residence at the University of Melbourne, he lived in Tuscany, developing a meticulous style bearing affinities with those of Balthus and Piero della Francesca. From the mid-1980s he was based in Melbourne, Port Fairy and finally Beechworth, while travelling often overseas. Though well-known for views of silent, sparse rooms, their sheer curtains wafting, Dunlop frequently painted portraits on commission, notably the sesquicentenary portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II for the state of Victoria in 1984.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Bryan Westwood/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

Bryan Westwood (age 42 in 1972)

Brian Dunlop (age 34 in 1972)

Subject professions

Visual arts and crafts

Donated by

Joseph Brown AO OBE (4 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