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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
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, 1957
Graham Sutherland
Portrait, oil on canvas
Purchased with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC, Tim Fairfax AC and the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation 2015
Study in scarlet
Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2018
Angus Trumble reflects on the force of nature that was Helena Rubinstein.
Portrait 60
Spring 2018
Magazine
Ralph Heimans on his portraits, and features on Louis Kahan, Helena Rubinstein, Judy Cassab and Tasmanian convicts.
Crème Valaze
From lanolin to Balenciaga
About Face article
Helena Rubinstein (1872‒1965) was the first self-made millionairess of modern times, and created the first publicly-listed global cosmetics corporation.
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 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
Colin Lanceley
Biography
Colin Lanceley (b. 1938), painter, printmaker and sculptor, arrived in Australia from New Zealand as a baby.
2 portraits in the collection
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
Sketch for Prime Minister Robert Menzies, 1960
Sir William Dobell OBE
Portrait, watercolour and gouache on paper
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 1999
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
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
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
John Chapman
Biography
Little is known of John Chapman, who engraved fine allegorical subjects after the designs of J Smith and Richard Corbould and worked closely with Thomas Macklin on his Shakespeare series.
2 portraits in the collection
The family, c. 1955
Charles Blackman OBE
Portrait, oil on board
Gift of Barbara Blackman 2000. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
Angus Trumble
12 October 2022
Media
Members of the Board, Foundation and staff of the National Portrait Gallery are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Angus Trumble.