Search / nicholas harding

School portraits

Inga Walton sheds light on a portraiture collection usually only seen by students and teachers at Melbourne University.

Drawing workshop: Focus on the face with Nicholas Harding

Join us from wherever you are for an intimate, online drawing workshop with British-Australian artist Nicholas Harding.

Talking heads

In their own words lead researcher Louise Maher on the novel project that lets the Gallery’s portraits speak for themselves.

John Olsen AO, CBE, 2017

Gift of the artist 2019. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Portrait Donors

Portrait 58

Paul Cézanne, Bill Henson and Simone Young, Australian cinema’s iconic women, and feminist portraits by Kate Just.

Through thick and thin

Sarah Engledow likes the manifold mediums of Nicholas Harding’s portraiture.

Nicholas Harding

Nicholas Harding: 28 portraits features paintings of Robert Drewe, John Bell and Hugo Weaving alongside gorgeously coloured recent oil portraits, delicate gouaches and bold ink and charcoal drawings.

Nicholas Harding: 28 Portraits

Sarah Engledow looks at three decades of Nicholas Harding's portraiture.

Richard Roxburgh, 2014

Gift of the artist 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

The Popular Pet Show

This exhibition expresses the joy and warmth that many of us derive from our animal companions, and celebrates their trusting, unpretentious ways, with portraits of Australians and their furry, feathered and fluffy friends.

Pets of all types take over the National Portrait Gallery

It is not every day that a national gallery turns its walls over to the animal companions that bring unconditional love and joy to their owners but this summer we have opened the doors to 15 contemporary artists with very different ways of depicting our furry, feathered and scaled pets.

Nicholas Harding

Over the years the young Nicholas Harding got his hands on various mice and guinea pigs, but they served mainly to illustrate the concept of mortality. 

Waiting for Godot

'Artist and actors, advancing spasmodically, find their rhythm together' writes Sarah Engledow.

Portrait 50

This issue features Julia Gillard on the late Joan Kirner, Julian Opie’s digital portraiture, Nicholas Harding’s Godot gouaches and more.

The real Thea

Long after the portraitist became indifferent to her, and died, a beguiling portrait hung over its subject.

Robert Drewe

Artist Nicholas Harding talks about what was captured in his portrait of Robert Drewe.

Nicholas Harding

Artist Nicholas Harding talks about how he became interested in portraiture, and his motivation in painting Hugo Weaving.

Arcadia learning resource

A great addition to themes such as Australian History, Sport, Australian Studies, Cultural Studies, English and Visual Arts. For Year 9 – 12 students.

Arcadia

An exhibition of photographs by John Witzig, drawings by Nicholas Harding and film footage by Albe Falzon, expressive of the free-spirited, hot-blooded energy of Australian surfers under the cloud of conscription to Vietnam.

Arcadia media information

Press releases and image downloads for media.

Arcadia: Sound of the sea

One night in the spring of 1970 in an old house in Whale Beach, north of Sydney, John Witzig, Albe Falzon and David Elfick put together the first issue of Tracks, playing Neil Young’s album Harvest over and over again as they pasted up galleys of type.

Observation point

Nicholas Harding describes his enduring fascination with drawing and painting people.

Portrait 44

This issue features The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee portrait, Nicholas Harding, Ingvar Kenne, Laura Moore, Michael Rosen and more.

Portrait 37

This issue features Jenny Sages, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, Brook Andrew's portrait of Marcia Langton, Nicholas Harding, Lola Montez, Mick Molloy and more.

Hugo at home (Hugo Weaving), 2011

Purchased with funds provided by the Liangis family 2012

Lear unbuttoned

Sarah Engledow steps up to the footlights and applauds the storyline behind Nicholas Harding's portraits of actor John Bell.

Undercurrent

Dr Sarah Engledow writes about the portraiture of Australian artist Nicholas Harding.

Study for John Bell as King Lear, 1998-2001

Gift of the artist 2010. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Robert Drewe (in the swell), 2006

Purchased 2010

Lovingly observed

Sarah Engledow previews the beguiling summer exhibition, Idle hours.

Head study for portrait of Margaret Olley, 1994

Bequest of Nick Enright AM 2004