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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.

Chandler Coventry

1999
Anne Zahalka

from the series ‘The Innovators – collectors who shaped Sydney’s Avant-Garde, 1963 -1978’
type C photograph on paper, edition 1/1 (image: 61.0 cm x 50.0 cm, frame: 74.0 cm x 64.0 cm)

Chandler Coventry AM (1924–1999) was born in Armidale, New South Wales into an established New England farming family. He inherited his first pastoral property at twenty and continued to purchase and inherit land over a number of years, resulting in holdings of over 15,000 hectares. Meanwhile, he became an avid art collector. In 1965 he relocated permanently to Sydney, where he opened a gallery in his home in Paddington in 1970. In 1974 Coventry Gallery moved to new premises, also in Paddington. A patron as well as a gallerist and collector, Coventry actively supported John Kaldor's Kaldor Public Art Projects including the famous Wrapped Coast (1968–69) by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. In 1960 and again in 1979, he gifted works from his own collection to the Armidale City Gallery, and actively fundraised for the establishment of a new gallery to house his donations and the Howard Hinton collection of art. The result was the New England Regional Art Museum, of which Coventry was a founding patron and trustee. Coventry remained involved in his Sydney gallery until his death in 1999.

Purchased 2021
© Anne Zahalka/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

Anne Zahalka (age 42 in 1999)

Chandler P. Coventry AM (age 75 in 1999)

© 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