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Mortality

In Western religious art a Pietà, also called a ‘lamentation’, is an image of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ.

Shen Jiawei

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. 

2017

Favourite portraits

National Portrait Gallery staff introduce their favourite portraits from the exhibition.

Benefactors

A charming prospect

Family fortunes

2010

Maritime disaster leaves poignant picture

Absence rends the heart asunder

Li Cunxin, 2017–2018

Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

The portraits in this resource have been chosen to spark discussion, encourage exploration and invite creativity for students in Years 3–6.

Announcing... Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence.

In March 2024, the National Portrait Gallery will launch a major exhibition of the work of Ralph Heimans AM, the Australian artist who’s painted some of the world’s most recognisable people.

Announcing.... In their own words

Inspiring Australians tell their own stories in a unique new gallery audio tour, developed in collaboration with the National Library of Australia.

Selected images

Take a peek at a selection of the portraits you can see in the exhibition.

Louise Whelan

I met Kaloti Parmjit the day I took the photo. I first visited the Sikh temple in the suburb of Glenwood to take photos as part of a social documentary project I'm undertaking for the State Library of NSW.

Memories

The second row of paintings recall stories relating to specific sites, experiences and activities.

Some women you may not know

‘Everybody’s lives are built by so many influences, and for me, it is writers, artists and activists who have influenced how I think about the world.’