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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.

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown
Graham Sutherland

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown, 1957

Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC, Tim Fairfax AC and the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation 2015

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown

Helena Rubinstein

Biography

Helena Rubinstein (c. 1870–1965), cosmetician, businesswoman and philanthropist, is the founder of one of the first international cosmetic companies.

1 portrait in the collection

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown

Study in scarlet

Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2018

Angus Trumble reflects on the force of nature that was Helena Rubinstein.

Sketch for Prime Minister Robert Menzies
Sketch for Prime Minister Robert Menzies
Sketch for Prime Minister Robert Menzies
Sir William Dobell OBE

Sketch for Prime Minister Robert Menzies, 1960

Portrait, watercolour and gouache on paper

Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 1999

The family
The family
The family
Charles Blackman OBE

The family, c. 1955

Portrait, oil on board

Gift of Barbara Blackman 2000. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Portrait of Jill Neville
Portrait of Jill Neville
Portrait of Jill Neville
Reginald Gray

Portrait of Jill Neville, 1967 (completed 1997)

Portrait, oil and egg tempera on canvas

Gift of the artist 2002

Larry Sitsky
Larry Sitsky
Larry Sitsky
Sister Mary Brady

Larry Sitsky, 1971

Portrait, oil on composition board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Larry Sitsky and Magda Sitsky 2010

image not online
Rollo Thomson

Geoffrey Tozer, 1966

Portrait, oil on canvas board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Estate of Geoffrey Tozer 2012

Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Harry Borden

Michael Hutchence, 1997

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Sir Thomas Gore-Browne
Sir Thomas Gore-Browne
Sir Thomas Gore-Browne
J Walch & Sons

Sir Thomas Gore-Browne, 1864

Portrait, tinted lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown

Philanthropic donations enable otherwise unobtainable acquisition

20 October 2016
Archived media releases 2016

A magnanimous portrait of Helena Rubinstein has been acquired for the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.

Charles Blackman

Charles Blackman OBE

Biography

Charles Blackman OBE (1928–2018), artist, studied at East Sydney Technical College and worked as a press artist for the Sun newspaper before moving to Melbourne, where he came to the attention of arts patron John Reed.

9 portraits in the collection

Anna Volska

Anna Volska

Biography

Anna Volska (b. 1944), actor, came from Poland to Australia with her mother when she was seven.

1 portrait in the collection

image not online

John Passmore

Biography

John Passmore (1904-1984), painter, studied with Julian Ashton in Sydney between the ages of fourteen and twenty-nine, and took some instruction from George Lambert.

1 portrait in the collection

image not online

Alec Murray

Biography

Alec Murray was a photographer whose Alec Murray's Album: Personalities of Australia was published by Sydney Ure Smith in about 1948.

1 portrait in the collection

The painter transmogrified and Mrs Smith

Eric Smith

Biography

Eric Smith (1919-2017), painter, was born in Brunswick, Melbourne, and trained in commercial art at the Brunswick Technical College before serving in the army during World War 2.

6 portraits in the collection

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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