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Bill Leak talks with Magda Keaney about
his portrait of Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes -
Nothing if not critical 2001
by Bill Leak (b. 1956)
oil on canvas
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2002
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The Portrait Gallery has just acquired your painting
of Robert Hughes. It is a massive canvas, and it is very dark. Could
you tell us about how you came to paint a portrait of Hughes so soon
after his car accident, and also something of the idea behind the portrait?
All right. Well, I had always admired Bob Hughes, because I always
read all his work and I think he is probably one of the best art writers
in the world. The first time I ever met him was at an Australian Republican
Movement dinner. I was encouraged by my then wife to go up and talk
to him, and put it to him that I should do a portrait of him. But I
didn't want to do it because I didn't know him. I went up and introduced
myself and he said, 'I hope you're not going to ask me if I will sit
for a portrait. Because the answer is definitely no. I'm asked at least
a couple of times a week to sit for portraits, and it's the last thing
I want to do,' and I felt a complete fool.
A couple of years later I was invited to a dinner and Bob was there.
On this particular occasion he said, 'I want to talk to you, Leak.'
He always calls me Leak. And he said, 'Come with me, Leak. We have to
have a talk.' So we went out and sat on the patio and he said, 'Well,
I'm nearly 60 years of age now and I have a face.'
I said, 'There's no doubt about it, Bob, you've got a face.' And he
said, 'I think it's about time that someone painted my face, and I think
it should be you.' So I was very happy and I said, 'Well, let's do it.'
And he said that the next time he was in Sydney he would get onto it.
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