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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.

Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark

Graeme Clark

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 2017

Professor Graeme Clark

'Scientific creativity'
Portrait story

Creator of the bionic ear, the Cochlear Implant, Professor Graeme Clark discusses his life and career.

Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark
Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark
Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark

Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark, 2000

Peter Wegner
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of the family of Professor Graeme Clark 2001. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Professor Graeme Clark
Professor Graeme Clark
Professor Graeme Clark

Professor Graeme Clark, 2000

Peter Wegner
Portrait, etching on paper

Gift of the artist 2002

Professor Graeme Clark (profile)
Professor Graeme Clark (profile)
Professor Graeme Clark (profile)

Professor Graeme Clark (profile), 2000

Peter Wegner
Portrait, etching on paper

Gift of the artist 2002

image not online

Portrait of Jill, 2021

Graeme Drendel
Portrait, oil on board

Gift of the artist 2023

Ivy Shore
Ivy Shore
Ivy Shore

Ivy Shore, 1961

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on masonite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Harvey and Russell Shore 2014

Gordon Darling Hall

Portrait of the Gallery

Magazine article by Graeme Dix, 2016

A design diary retrospective.

Max Meldrum
Max Meldrum
Max Meldrum

Max Meldrum, 1951

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on masonite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Mrs Shirley Greathead 2009

Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy

Graeme Murphy, 1977 (printed 2002)

Lewis Morley
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2002. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy

Graeme Murphy, n.d.

Stuart Campbell
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of the Estate of Stuart Campbell 2012

Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy
Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy
Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy

Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy, 2004

Paula Dawson AM
Portrait, holographic print etched on bronze disk on bronze figurine

Purchased with the assistance of funds provided by Ann Lewis AM and the Basil Bressler Bequest 2004

Graeme Drendel, 2016 by Mark Mohell

Graeme Drendel

Explore The Popular Pet Show

I like talking about Drendel’s pictures as if they expressed dreams of my own.

Graeme Blundell (on bike as Alvin Purple)
Graeme Blundell (on bike as Alvin Purple)
Graeme Blundell (on bike as Alvin Purple)

Graeme Blundell (on bike as Alvin Purple), c. 1973

Rennie Ellis
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2006

Chester Porter QC
Chester Porter QC
Chester Porter QC

Chester Porter QC, 1997

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on board

Gift of Jean Porter and family 2021. Donated through the Australia Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.

Self-portrait in black jumper, 2017 Graeme Drendel

Be frank

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2020

Close encounters are the genesis for Graeme Drendel’s enticing portraiture.

The Hon E.G. Whitlam AC QC
The Hon E.G. Whitlam AC QC
The Hon E.G. Whitlam AC QC

The Hon E.G. Whitlam AC QC, 1980

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on masonite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2002

Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick

Brian Fitzpatrick, 1953

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on masonite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Sheila and David Fitzpatrick in memory of their father 2008

Kevin Weldon
Kevin Weldon
Kevin Weldon

Kevin Weldon, 1978

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Kevin Weldon 2012

Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy

Reflections on a Hologram

Magazine article by Sam Bowker, 2005

Sam Bowker examines Paula Dawson's Mirror, Mirror - a holographic portrait of Graeme Murphy.

Navins of Bollywood, 2006 by Navin Rawanchaikul

Navin Rawanchaikul

by Christine Clark
Artist essays

Navin Rawanchaikul has built his practice around explorations of the transient nature of identity in a globalised world, and draws much of his material from his own experiences.

Open your mouth, 2002 by FX Harsono

FX Harsono

by Christine Clark
Artist essays

FX Harsono was born in 1949, just as the independence of the Indonesian nation was being established.

Ang Retabla Rizalista (Relikaryo ni Arnulfo Tikb-ang) 2011 The Rizalian Retablo (Reliquary by Arnulfo Tikb-ang)
by Alwin Reamillo

Alwin Reamillo

by Christine Clark
Artist essays

Alwin Reamillo was born in Manila, Philippines in 1964. He studied painting at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, and began his career as a visual art teacher at the Philippine High School for the Arts.

Self portrait, 1957 by Sunarto P. R.

Masters of modern Indonesian portraiture

Previous exhibition, 2014

Masters of modern Indonesian portraiture presents key modernist paintings and drawings along with a selection of contemporary works.

Man of the year #4, 2011 by Agus Suwage

Beyond the Self

Contemporary Portraiture from Asia
Previous exhibition, 2011

This exhibition examines the representation of the self in current South and Southeast Asian art practice through the work of artists from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand

Manning Clark

Manning Clark

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 1967

Milton Glaser Art is Work

Portraits and other stories

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2006

As the National Portrait Gallery opens its exhibition of portrait and figurative work by veteran photographer Sam Haskins, the artist reflects on the highlights of his fifty-year career so far.

Sir Lindesay Clark
Sir Lindesay Clark
Sir Lindesay Clark

Sir Lindesay Clark, 1973

Clifton Pugh AO
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Alcoa World Alumina Australia 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Dymphna Clark
Dymphna Clark
Dymphna Clark

Dymphna Clark, 1991

Heide Smith
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005

image not online

Peter Porter, 2004

Tony Clark
Portrait, synthetic polymer paint and permanent marker on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2004

Asuceleng (Dog-boar), 2010

Man of the year

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2011

Exhibition curator Christine Clark introduces the work by Indonesian artist Agus Suwage created for Beyond the self: Contemporary portraiture from Asia.

My Favourite Australian

My Favourite Australian

Previous exhibition, 2008

My Favourite Australian is a project developed in collaboration with ABC TV and the people of Australia.

Shane Warne

Flash

Australian Athletes in Focus
Previous exhibition, 2006

Introduction The National Portrait Gallery’s photographic exhibition Flash: Australian Athletes in Focus explores various interpretations of Australian sporting men and women.

Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

Contemporary women artists make Australian history
Previous exhibition, 2018

This exhibition features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history, enriching the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.

Manning Clark
Manning Clark
Manning Clark

Manning Clark, 1985

Rick Amor
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Manning Clark
Manning Clark
Manning Clark

Manning Clark, 1990

Rick Amor
Portrait, woodcut on paper

Gift of the artist 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Two portraits of Manning Clark (seated recto), (head, verso)
Two portraits of Manning Clark (seated recto), (head, verso)
Two portraits of Manning Clark (seated recto), (head, verso)

Two portraits of Manning Clark (seated recto), (head, verso), 1985

Rick Amor
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

A Popular Preacher.
A Popular Preacher.
A Popular Preacher.

A Popular Preacher. "Charity Covereth a Multitude of Sins" [Charles Clark], 1873

Tom Durkin, The Weekly Times
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Portrait of His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria
Portrait of His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria
Portrait of His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria

Portrait of His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria, c. 1864

Thomas Clark
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by The Ian Potter Foundation 2007

Manning's red socks
Manning's red socks
Manning's red socks

Manning's red socks, 1989 (printed 2012)

Heide Smith
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Heide Smith 2012

Glenn McGrath

Pigeon coup

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2006

Glenn McGrath makes a strong impact on the English batsmen and the walls of the National Portrait Gallery.

William Clark Haines, Premier of Victoria (Plate 12)
William Clark Haines, Premier of Victoria (Plate 12)
William Clark Haines, Premier of Victoria (Plate 12)

William Clark Haines, Premier of Victoria (Plate 12), 1857-1858

Antoine Fauchery, Richard Daintree
Portrait, albumen silver photograph on laid on cardboard

Purchased 2014

Captain R.C. Morgan, Missionary ship 'John Williams'
Captain R.C. Morgan, Missionary ship 'John Williams'
Captain R.C. Morgan, Missionary ship 'John Williams'

Captain R.C. Morgan, Missionary ship 'John Williams', n.d.

John Cochran after Henry Room
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Gina and Ted Gregg 2010

Aborigines, the last of the race, Tasmania
Aborigines, the last of the race, Tasmania
Aborigines, the last of the race, Tasmania

Aborigines, the last of the race, Tasmania, c. 1866

Henry Frith
Portrait, albumen silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2006

Robert, Lindy, Grant

Face the music

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2005

Drawn from the Gallery's collection, the exhibition Face the Music explores the remarkable talents and achievements of Australian musicians, composers, conductors and celebrities associated with the music industry.

Aborigines at Oyster Cove, Tasmania
Aborigines at Oyster Cove, Tasmania
Aborigines at Oyster Cove, Tasmania

Aborigines at Oyster Cove, Tasmania, 1858 (printed 1890s)

Francis Nixon
Portrait, glass plate negative

Purchased 2011

Adam Scott: at Sanctuary Cove Golf Course

Celebrities on the field

Magazine article by Christine Clark, 2006

Robin Sellick's portraits of Australian sportspeople include Harry Kewell, Adam Scott, Shane Warne, Mark Webber and John Newcombe.

Portrait of Johnson Pilton Walker, Inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 25 Hours 31 minutes, 22-23rd of May 2009
Portrait of Johnson Pilton Walker, Inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 25 Hours 31 minutes, 22-23rd of May 2009
Portrait of Johnson Pilton Walker, Inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 25 Hours 31 minutes, 22-23rd of May 2009

Portrait of Johnson Pilton Walker, Inside the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra, 25 Hours 31 minutes, 22-23rd of May 2009, 2009 (printed 2010)

Ingvar Kenne
Portrait, type C photographs on paper

Purchased with funds provided by the Circle of Friends 2009

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Sydney 1891 from Australasia Illustrated
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Sydney 1891 from Australasia Illustrated
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Sydney 1891 from Australasia Illustrated

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, Sydney 1891 from Australasia Illustrated, 1891

an unknown artist
Portrait, engraving on paper (4 sheets)

Purchased 2009

Billy Mann 1963 by Larry Clark

Larry Clark

Tough & Tender
General content

Larry Clark's black-and-white documentary images of young outsiders reveal raw feelings. 

The artist Marc Clark, 2019 Russell Shakespeare

The artist Marc Clark, 2019

Russell Shakespeare
Image
Ivy Shore

Not your average teacher’s pet!

It's Complicated

Love versus art

Billie, 2016 by Graeme Drendel

The Popular Pet Show

Previous exhibition, 2016

This exhibition expresses the joy and warmth that many of us derive from our animal companions, and celebrates their trusting, unpretentious ways, with portraits of Australians and their furry, feathered and fluffy friends.

Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake: Ella Havelka, Beijing, 2015 Lisa Tomasetti

Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake: Ella Havelka, Beijing

Lisa Tomasetti
Image

Leaving Lost, 2013

by Frazer Bull-Clark
General content

Finalist, MDPA 2013

Sir Henry Barkly

Portrait story

An interview with former National Portrait Gallery Director, Andrew Sayers, who describes the portrait of Sir Henry Barkly by Thomas Clark.

Portrait 52

Autumn 2016
Magazine

This issue feature articles on the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2016, Augustus Earle, Larry Clark, Jude Rae, Oodgeroo Noonuccal and more.

Koko & Kiko (42nd Street Series), 1980 by Larry Clark

Best buds

About Face article

It’s important to have a best bud when you’re growing up. For many boys the transition from boyhood through adolescence is defined by wanting to fit in. 

Spencer 2016, by Warwick Baker

Tough & Tender

Previous exhibition, 2016

Art by Warwick Baker, Chris Burden, Larry Clark, Rozalind Drummond, Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe and Collier Schorr explores personal relations, individual expression and fluid identity.

Tokyo, 2010 by Lisa Tomasetti

Tokyo, 2010

by Lisa Tomasetti
Image
Benny (42nd Street Series), 1979–80 by Larry Clark

City boys

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2016

Christopher Chapman immerses himself in Larry Clark’s field of vision.

Spencer 2016, by Warwick Baker

Tough & Tender Media Release

14 July 2016
Archived media releases 2016

Photographs from internationally acclaimed artists Robert Mapplethorpe, Larry Clark, Nan Goldin, Collier Schorr and Chris Burden along with contemporary Australian artists, Rozalind Drummond and Warwick Baker will call the National Portrait Gallery home during our extraordinary winter exhibition Tough and Tender.

image not online

Peter O'Shaughnessy, 1947

Howard Matthews
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca and Halaina Hills, NYC, 2012 Lisa Tomasetti

Brooke Lockett, Heidi Martin, Karen Nanasca and Halaina Hills, NYC

Lisa Tomasetti
Image
image not online

Annual Appeal

Listed by year
Honour board
Midday in the squat, 2009 by Hannah Robinson

Midday in the squat, 2009

by Hannah Robinson
Image

Portrait 55

Summer 2016-2017
Magazine

Explore convict art, photography by Ruth Hollick and Collier Schorr, an interview with neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, portraiture on money, and more!

Tim Winton

2020 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2020 the Annual Appeal was focussed on Sally Robinson's remarkable portrait of author Tim Winton.

Sir Lindesay Clark

The Stories Beneath

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005
The Alcoa World Alumina Australia gift.
Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris

Swimming every day

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2015

National Photographic Portrait Prize judge Christopher Chapman connects this year’s entries to iconic contemporary american photographers.

Kid A, 2014 by Joshua Morris

Swimming every day

NPPP 2015 exhibition essay
General content

Dr Christopher Chapman, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2015 Prize.

Professor Peter Doherty

Rick Amor

21 Portraits
Previous exhibition, 2014

Rick Amor, noblest yet most unaffected of contemporary Australian portraitists, is also a painter of enigmatic, ominous landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes that haunt the viewer like dreams, dimly-recalled.

Turia Pitt

2021 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2021 the Annual Appeal was focussed on Peter Brew-Bevan's portraits of athletes Turia Pitt, Leisel Jones OAM and Ellie Cole OAM.

Richard Walley
Richard Walley
Richard Walley

Richard Walley, 2015

Dr Julie Dowling
Portrait, synthetic polymer paint and red ochre on canvas

Commissioned with funds provided by Neil Archibald and Alan R. Dodge AM, Brandon and Angela Munro, Dr Walter Ong and Graeme Marshall 2015

Professor A D Hope, Canberra
Professor A D Hope, Canberra
Professor A D Hope, Canberra

Professor A D Hope, Canberra, 1963 (printed 2000)

David Moore
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.

Kenneth Gillespie
Kenneth Gillespie
Kenneth Gillespie

Kenneth Gillespie, 2005

Dean Beletich
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph, selenium toned on paper

Purchased 2015

Akira Isogawa
Akira Isogawa
Akira Isogawa

Akira Isogawa, 2001

Peter Brew-Bevan
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2005

Steven Heathcote
Steven Heathcote
Steven Heathcote

Steven Heathcote, 2007

Julian Kingma
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2008

Betty Burstall

Arthur Boyd Portraits

Previous exhibition, 1999

This is the first in a series of National Portrait Gallery exhibitions to survey the portraits painted by artists who are not thought of, primarily, as portrait painters

Kristian Fredrikson
Kristian Fredrikson
Kristian Fredrikson

Kristian Fredrikson, 2000 (printed 2001)

Peter Brew-Bevan
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2001

Portrait 64

Summer 2019/20
Magazine

Marian Anderson, emerging photographer Charles Dennington, piscatorial portraits, and the poignant path of photographer Polixeni Papapetrou and more.

Arthur Boyd, Bundanon, New South Wales
Arthur Boyd, Bundanon, New South Wales
Arthur Boyd, Bundanon, New South Wales

Arthur Boyd, Bundanon, New South Wales, 1995 (printed 2000)

David Moore
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

Akira Isogawa
Akira Isogawa
Akira Isogawa

Akira Isogawa, 2003 (printed 2005)

Ingvar Kenne
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Edward Henty
Edward Henty
Edward Henty

Edward Henty, late 19th century

an unknown artist
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Tim Clark 2018

image not online

Donors

$10,000 - $49,999
Honour board
Akira Isogawa

Peter Brew-Bevan Portraits

Previous exhibition, 2005

In this exhibition Sydney based photographer Peter Brew-Bevan brings together an intimate collection of works that highlight his passion for the genre of portraiture over the last 10 years

Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker

Joseph Dalton Hooker, c. 1880s

an unknown artist
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2009

David Clarke
David Clarke
David Clarke

David Clarke, 1995 (printed 2018)

Gary Ede
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased 2018

Richard Walley

Richard Walley OAM honoured in new Portrait Gallery commission

2 September 2015
Archived media releases 2015

A new commissioned portrait funded by the Gallery’s Foundation will be launched at Murdoch University in Perth tonight, Wednesday 2 September.

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Dr Sarah Engledow

Biography

Dr Sarah Engledow was appointed Historian at the National Portrait Gallery in 1999.

Portrait of Professor Graeme Clark

Portraits for Posterity

Previous exhibition, 2006

Drawn from some of the many donations made to the Gallery's collection, the exhibition Portraits for Posterity pays homage both to the remarkable (and varied) group of Australians who are portrayed in the portraits and the generosity of the many donors who have presented them to the Gallery.

Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

17 May 2018
Archived media releases 2018

The National Portrait Gallery is pleased to announce its winter exhibition is So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history. It will open to the public from 29 June 2018.

Meryl Tankard

Dancer

Touring exhibition, 2024

From letting loose in the loungeroom to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition celebrates dance and dancers.

Billie, 2016 by Graeme Drendel

Pets of all types take over the National Portrait Gallery

3 November 2016
Archived media releases 2016

It is not every day that a national gallery turns its walls over to the animal companions that bring unconditional love and joy to their owners but this summer we have opened the doors to 15 contemporary artists with very different ways of depicting our furry, feathered and scaled pets.

Barry Humphries

Clifton Pugh

Australians
Previous exhibition, 2005

This exhibition offers a comprehensive display of Clifton Pugh's portraits revealing his development and growth from tonal paintings to a unique style that was in demand from politicians, artists, academics and Australian personalities.

Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

28 June 2018
Archived media releases 2018

Ten women artists explore the possibilities of portraiture as a contemporary art form; and reinterpret and reimagine Australian history in the Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history.

Lee Kernaghan near Broken Hill

Australian of the Year

Inspiring a Nation
Previous exhibition, 2010

The Australian of the Year Awards have often provoked controversy about who is selected and whether their achievements are remarkable.

Meryl Tankard

Dancer

Hosting a touring exhibition

From letting loose in the loungeroom to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition celebrates dance and dancers.

Our only concern is the void, 2013 by Nik Lee, video: 12 minutes

Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award media information

28 August 2013
Archived media releases 2013

The National Portrait Gallery recently announced the finalists for the Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2013.

Georg von Neumayer
Georg von Neumayer
Georg von Neumayer

Georg von Neumayer, c. 1860

Johnstone & Co
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

Les Murray

Poets' Portraits

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

The Portrait Gallery's paintings of two poets, Les Murray and Peter Porter, demonstrate two very different artists' responses to the challenge of representing more than usually sensitive and imaginative men.

Paul Kelly, 1992 by Wendy McDougall

Paul Kelly and The Portraits media information

18 June 2013
Archived media releases 2013

Paul Kelly & The Portraits presents a multifaceted image of the performer over the course of his career.

Reg Richardson AM

2015-17 Acquisition Fund

Annual Appeal

From 2015 to 2017 the Acquisition Fund was focussed on Reg Richardson AM by Mitch Cairns, a finalist in the Archibald Prize 2014, and a great example of minimalist portraiture.

Martha Mary Robertson
Martha Mary Robertson
Martha Mary Robertson

Martha Mary Robertson, 1866

Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, albumen photograph on carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Malcolm Robertson in memory of William Thomas Robertson 2018
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

The mahi-mahi, 2019 Rob Palmer

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020

Previous exhibition, 2020

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

William St. Leonards Robertson
William St. Leonards Robertson
William St. Leonards Robertson

William St. Leonards Robertson, c. 1869

Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Malcolm Robertson in memory of William Thomas Robertson 2018
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier

Nicholas Chevalier, c. 1867

Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, albumen photograph on carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

Margaret Whitlam

Open Air

Portraits in the Landscape
Previous exhibition, 2008

Open Air is an exhibition of portraits of Australians in environments of particular significance to them.

Artist and wife near Arthurs Seat, 1969

Through blue eyes

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

Works by Arthur Boyd and Sidney Nolan bring the desert, the misty seashore and the hot Monaro plains to exhibition Open Air: Portraits in the landscape.

William Bligh

Old Blighty

Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2016

Angus Trumble ponders the many faces of William Bligh.

Arthur Streeton

The 1890s to the 1940s

Mo and beard timeline

Although the tough, weathered, hard-drinking bushmen of the kind mythologised by writers like Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson are popularly associated with the character of late nineteenth century Australia, it was also a time when alternative ideas about identity began to come into play.

Professor Peter Doherty

Friends and Acquaintances

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

Dr. Sarah Engledow discusses a collection of drawings and prints by the Victorian artist Rick Amor acquired in 2005.

Sammy Dodd

2022 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2022 the Annual Appeal was focussed on Mayatjara by Robert Fielding, a series of 24 photographs of Elders of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara community.

Self portrait

Profile of a marriage

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

Dr Sarah Engledow explores the lives of Sir George Grey and his wife Eliza, the subjects of a pair of wax medallions in the National Portrait Gallery's collection.

Madame du Barry, 1791 by Richard Cosway

Little women

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2019

Joanna Gilmour looks beyond the ivory face of select portrait miniatures to reveal their sitters’ true grit.

James, Rebecca and Sam Mapu

Time and light

In Gallery Seven
Previous exhibition, 2023

This sample of 56 photographs takes in some of the smallest photographs we own and some of the largest, some of the earliest and some of the most recent, as well as multiple photographic processes from daguerreotypes to digital media.

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.

Ned Kelly death mask

Sideshow Alley

Infamy, the macabre & the portrait
Previous exhibition, 2015

Death masks, post-mortem drawings and other spooky and disquieting portraits... Come and see how portraits of infamous Australians were used in the 19th century.

Portrait bust of Dr Christine Rivett

In the round

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2009

Andrew Sayers outlines the highlights of the National Portrait Gallery's display of portrait sculpture.

image not online

Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
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.

Mr and Mrs Horace Keats in the

Heartfelt

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

The portrait of Janet and Horace Keats with the spirit of the poet Christopher Brennan is brought to life by artist Dora Toovey.

Patrick Ryan, 1968 by Mark Strizic

The silent partner

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2015

One half of the team that was Eltham Films left scarcely a trace in the written historical record, but survives in a vivid portrait.

Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

Storied portrait

About Face article

Emily Casey takes in Shirley Purdie’s remarkable self-portrait, Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe.

Self portrait

Expect the unexpected

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2019

Joanna Gilmour revels in accidental artist Charles Rodius’ nineteenth century renderings of Indigenous peoples.

Self Portrait, Stuart Campbell by Stuart Campbell

The essence of you

Magazine article by Lee Tulloch, 2011

Lee Tulloch remembers her great friend NIDA-trained actor turned photographer Stuart Campbell.

Leigh Bowery in Fur Coat

Hyperversity

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

Dr Sarah Engledow writes about the larger-than-life Australian performance artist, Leigh Bowery.

Dorothy Porter

Beautiful bones

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2011

Sarah Engledow reflects on the shared life and writing of Dorothy Porter and Andrea Goldsmith.

Patrick White at Centennial Park, 1979–1980

Listomania

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2013

Sarah Engledow describes the fall-out once Brett Whiteley stuck Patrick White’s list of his loves and hates onto his great portrait of the writer.

Henry Lawson

Regarding Henrys

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2015

Sarah Engledow ponders the divergent legacies of Messrs Kendall and Lawson.

Portrait of Troppo Architects, 2009

Thinking about architecture and portraiture

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2009

Dr Christopher Chapman describes the experimental exhibition Portraits + Architecture

Self portrait

Rick Amor: 21 Portraits

General content

Sarah Engledow chronicles Rick Amor's work and accomplishments in this extensive essay in conjunction with the exhibition Rick Amor: 21 Portraits.

Studio portrait of servicewoman Lance Corporal Kathleen Jean Mary (Kath) Walker, c.1942

Past present

Magazine article by Krysia Kitch, 2016

Krysia Kitch celebrates Oodgeroo Noonuccal.

William Charles Wentworth -The Australian Patriot

The Wentworths – Hidden in Plain Sight

Magazine article by Dr Grace Blakeley-Carroll, 2015

Grace Carroll on the gendered world of the Wentworths.

Lyndall Hobbs and Marilyn at the Come as your favourite blonde party, Blitz Club, London, 1979 Robert Rosen

Shiny, happy people

Magazine article by Glynis Jones, 2022

Glynis Jones on the Powerhouse’s retrospective of one of Australia’s foremost fashion reportage and social photographers.

Howard Taylor

Reflections on portraiture

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2004

An extract from the 2004 Nuala O'Flaaherty Memorial Lecture at the Queen Victoria Musuem and Art Gallery in Launceston in which Andrew Sayers reflects on the unique qualities of a portrait gallery.

Director John Duigan and actor Judy Davis on the set of ‘Winter of our Dreams’, Sydney, 1981 by Robert McFarlane

Natural born stiller

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2016

Penelope Grist speaks to Robert McFarlane about shooting for the stars.

Mary Chomley

Women make history

Magazine article by Jennifer Higgie, 2022

Jennifer Higgie uncovers the intriguing stories behind portraits of women by women in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.

The Bare story

General content

Curator, Penny Grist, reveals how this exhibition came to be

The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty

High & Bligh

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2008

Joanna Gilmour explores the 1790 portrait of William Bligh by Robert Dodd.

The Long Awaited, 2008 by Patricia Piccinini

In the flesh

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2015

An exhibition of humanness in ten themes by Penelope Grist.

Self portrait, 1954

A sketch for some portraits

Magazine article by Judith Pugh, 2005

Judith Pugh reflects on Clifton Pugh's approach to portrait making.

Trevor Jamieson, 2016 by Brett Canet-Gibson

The more things change...

NPPP 2017 exhibition essay
General content

Dr Sarah Engledow, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2017 Prize.

Cachasunghia, Osage Warrior 1804–06 by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin

Political profiles

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2016

Joanna Gilmour examines the prolific output of Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, and discovers the risk of taking a portrait at face value.

The Right Honourable Sir Ninian Stephen KGAK GCMG GCVO KBE QC, 2006 by Rick Amor

Prima facie

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2019

Sarah Engledow casts a judicious eye over portraits in the Victorian Bar’s Peter O’Callaghan QC Portrait Gallery.

Dr Reg Hook

Inner Worlds and psychoanalysis

Lecture, 4 June 2011
General content

Inner Worlds evokes a broad view of psychology as a discipline. However, the specific interests of the practitioners whose portraits are included in the exhibition incorporate specialist areas including psychoanalysis.

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