National Portrait Gallery

2019 rectification work

We’ll be closing our doors for a little while for rectification work from 23 April until 14 September 2019, but you’ll still be able to check out a raft of travelling exhibitions, exciting programs and happy snaps as we set off on an actual and virtual adventure.

Elle Macpherson, 1995 photographed by Andrew Macpherson

Women in Vogue

Celebrating 60 Years in Australia

Opening in October 2019, this exhibition showcases 60 years of the Vogue Australia archive together with a special tribute to some remarkable Australian women who have featured in the pages of Vogue, and includes iconic portraits of Kylie Minogue and Elle Macpherson, among others. Early bird tickets on sale now.

Hyperconnected virtual tour

Thursday 12 September 2019

11:30am – 12:00pm; 2:30 – 2:30pm

Join us virtually on a live highlights tour, from the comfort of your own home. Ask questions, see the collection, and hear some of the stories behind the portraits.

Bookings required

Transcendence

Saturday 21 September 2019

3:00 – 3:30pm

Marking International Day of Peace, Tobias Cole leads a celebration of singing, featuring children and young adults from Turner Trebles, Canberra Children’s Choir, Lyneham High Voices, Vocal Fry and ANU Chamber Choir.

Little Faces

Spring series

Tuesday 24 September 2019

9:30 – 10:15am; 10:30 – 11:15am

Little children and their parent/carer are invited to join a Learning Facilitator for playful activities. There will be singing, movement and drawing.

Bookings required

Little Faces

Spring series

Wednesday 25 September 2019

9:30 – 10:15am; 10:30 – 11:15am

Little children and their parent/carer are invited to join a Learning Facilitator for playful activities. There will be singing, movement and drawing.

Bookings required

Art cart: Fashion it fierce & fancy

Saturday 28 September 2019
until Sunday 13 October 2019

11:00am – 4:00pm

Fun, free activities for families, inspired by fashion from the NPG collection.

Portrait play

Portrait Detective

Monday 30 September 2019
until Friday 4 October 2019

10:15 – 11:15am

Become a Portrait Detective and join us to explore the portraits through drawing and creative activity in the galleries.

Bookings required

More events

Portrait 62

Autumn 2019

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2019, the iconoclastic Japanese figures Yukio Mishima and Tamotsu Yato, Angélica Dass’ Humanæ project and more.

More Portrait magazines

All the stories, in your hands

Try our new iOS app

Wherever you are, the app is a great way to explore our collection.

Born on this day

Missy Higgins

More portrait anniversaries

Ningali Lawford-Wolf, 1996 (printed 2016) by Stuart Spence

The Portraits

Browse the collection

Portraits of people who have influenced and contributed to the shaping of Australian society.

Portrait Gallery Foundation

Annual Appeal 2019

Your generous support of the Exhibition Fund will provide resources for our talented team to research and develop new exhibition concepts, in collaboration with existing and new international partners.

New painting prize

Entries now open

The Darling Portrait Prize is a new annual prize for Australian portrait painters, painting Australian sitters. The winner receives a cash prize of $75,000.

Education

Information for educators, education tour companies and school groups across all levels.

Portrait of Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke (Sass & Bide), 2008 by Deborah Paauwe

Circle of Friends membership

Enjoy all the benefits of belonging to this vibrant, creative gallery!

Venue hire

Hold your event in one of our gorgeous spaces, day or evening.

About the Gallery

All about our history, building, employment and governance.

Support portraiture

We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building collection.

Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam, 15 Jan 1969 by David Combe

Peaceful front

by David Gist, 13 March 2019

‘Is this one of yours?’ David Combe still remembers reading the letter from his father in early 1969. Like every soldier serving in Vietnam, he valued any missive from home.

More assortments

Tweets by @PortraitAu

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There are good ships and wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are friendships, may they always be! ⛵️ Today is #InternationalFriendshipDay and we're celebrating with our dear mates over at the @nationalgalleryaus 🤝 #NationalGalleryofAustralia Director Nick Mitzevich and our Director here at the #NationalPortraitGallery Karen Quinlan AM spent the morning together sharing our ideas for the future, and boy, are we excited for the road ahead... To extend our friendship, the National Portrait Gallery's Circle of Friends can now get Monet tickets at National Gallery Members' prices when they show their NPG membership card at the box office. Until 1 September. How swell! Artwork: Yayoi Kusama, SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS, 2017 © Yayoi Kusama, installed at the National Gallery of Australia #PortraitAu #NationalGalleryAus #NPG #NGA #Mates #VisitCanberra #WeAreCBR #YayoiKusama #CircleOfFriends #Monet #BFFs #LetsGetFriendshipBracelets #BestShipsAreFriendships

A post shared by National Portrait Gallery, Aus (@portraitau) on Jul 29, 2019 at 7:15pm PDT

Tweets by @PortraitAu