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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.

Search / denise drysdale

Norman Gunston and Denise Drysdale

Norman Gunston and Denise Drysdale

Norman Gunston and Denise Drysdale

Norman Gunston and Denise Drysdale, 1976 (printed 2010)

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by James Bain AM and Janette Bain 2010

The New Arrivals at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art

The New Arrivals at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art

The New Arrivals at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art

The New Arrivals at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, 1941

Russell Drysdale

Portrait, pen and pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Bequest of Lady Maisie Drysdale 2001

Russell Drysdale, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale

Sir Russell Drysdale AC (1912-1981), painter, developed eye trouble in 1929, and had to leave boarding school for the first of many eye treatments which left him fearful of total blindness.

6 portraits in the collection

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale

In their own words

In their own words

Recorded 1960

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale, 1960

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2004
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale

Russell Drysdale, c. 1949

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003

Maisie

Lady Maisie Drysdale

Lady Maisie Drysdale (1915–2001), children's librarian and artists' muse, developed an interest in art as a child, and attended both the University of Melbourne and George Bell's art school.

1 portrait in the collection

Russell Drysdale, Woollahra, Sydney

Russell Drysdale, Woollahra, Sydney

Russell Drysdale, Woollahra, Sydney

Russell Drysdale, Woollahra, Sydney, 1964 (printed 2000)

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001.

Russell Drysdale, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale, Tallow Beach, New South Wales, 1969 (printed 2000)

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001.

Russell Drysdale and Peter Sculthorpe, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale and Peter Sculthorpe, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale and Peter Sculthorpe, Tallow Beach, New South Wales

Russell Drysdale and Peter Sculthorpe, Tallow Beach, New South Wales, 1969 (printed 2000)

Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001

Maisie

Maisie

Maisie

Maisie, 1938-1939

Peter Purves Smith

Portrait, gouache on paper

Bequest of Lady Maisie Drysdale 2001

Yvonne Denise Kenny

Yvonne Denise Kenny

Yvonne Denise Kenny

Yvonne Denise Kenny, 1999 (printed 2022)

Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Purchased 2022

The New Arrivals at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art

Peter Purves Smith

Peter Purves Smith (1912–1949), artist, went to Geelong Grammar with his lifelong friend Russell Drysdale.

2 portraits in the collection

Lady Primrose Potter

Lady Primrose Potter

Lady Primrose Potter

Lady Primrose Potter, 2023

Betina Fauvel-Ogden

Portrait, oil on canvas

Commissioned with funds provided by Nigel Satterley AM and Denise Satterley and The Calvert-Jones Foundation 2023

Paul Haefliger

Paul Haefliger

Paul Haefliger (1914-1982) trained in Sydney and then in London with Bernard Meninsky and Mark Gertler.

1 portrait in the collection

Rudy Komon

Rudy Komon

Rudy Komon (1908-1982) was an art dealer and gallery director. After working as a journalist in Czechoslovakia, where he served with the Czech resistance during the war, he emigrated to Sydney and opened an antique store.

3 portraits in the collection

© National Portrait Gallery 2025
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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