© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
The hand of Captain Cook
Google Arts and Culture
Learning resources
Take a close look at a portrait with a hidden message in its hands. For Year 7 – 9 students.
Shen Jiawei
Explore The Popular Pet Show
Shen Jiawei was born in China. During the Cultural Revolution he laboured in the Great Northern Wilderness, but even as he worked there, he gained recognition as an artist.
In Conversation
Maggie Beer AO and Del Kathryn Barton
Watch
Join us with Maggie Beer AO, cook restaurateur and businesswoman and Del Kathryn Barton, artist, in celebration of the National Portrait Gallery's most recent commissioned portrait, Maggie, 2023 by Del Kathryn Barton.
Welcome home, Captain Bligh
27 March 2015
Archived media releases 2015
The National Portrait Gallery will, next Tuesday, unveil an exciting new acquisition of irrefutable importance to all Australians. Portrait of William Bligh, in master’s uniform c. 1776, attributed to John Webber, is one of the earliest portraits of the contentious, historical figure, and extends the Gallery’s remarkable collection of early colonial portraits.
Explore The Popular Pet Show
The artists and their furry friends
General content
Curator, Sarah Engledow, introduces the artists and the animals in The Popular Pet Show.
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018 winner announced
23 March 2018
Archived media releases 2018
Finalists have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Winner and Highly Commended for the National Photographic Portrait Prize since December. It is our pleasure to announce the Winner for 2018 is Lee Grant for her portrait titled Charlie and Highly Commended has been awarded to Filomena Rizzo for her portrait titled My Olivia.
All revealed in new exhibition Bare: Degrees of undress
13 August 2015
Archived media releases 2015
This exhibition celebrates the candid, contrived, natural, sexy, ironic, beautiful, and fascinating in Australian portraiture that shows a bit of skin.
The Hinders: doyens of Australian modernism
Passion
Progressive partnership
All revealed in new exhibition Bare: Degrees of undress
22 July 2015
Archived media releases 2015
A new exhibition celebrates the candid, contrived, natural, sexy, ironic, beautiful, and the fascinating in Australian portraiture that shows a bit of skin.
She saved his life. He showed her painting.
Nearest & Dearest
Leaders, painters, friends
National Photographic Portrait Prize 2018
8 March 2018
Archived media releases 2018
Images for media use will be available from 8 March 2018.
Storytelling
General content
The fourth row of paintings interweave Ngarranggarni, memories, relationships and Country.
Andrew Sayers AM FAHA
13 October 2015
Archived media releases 2015
The Chairman, Board, Director and staff mourn the loss of the National Portrait Gallery's inaugural director.
Some prime ministers
General content
Sarah Engledow explores the history of the prime ministers and artists featured in the exhibition.
History
About us
How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be
Exhibition opening speech
General content
Leo Schofield introduces the exhibition, Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores.