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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.

The Look

Featuring striking photographic portraits of contemporary figures from the National Portrait Gallery collection, The Look is an aesthetic treat with a lashing of je ne sais quoi.

More information on The Look

68 portraits in the exhibition

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Bryan Brown
Bryan Brown, 2008 Adam Knott. © Adam Knott
Tilman Ruff
Tilman Ruff, 2019 Nikki Toole. © Nikki Toole
Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe, 1998 (printed 2019) Brett Canét-Gibson. © Brett Canét-Gibson
Grazia Gunn
Grazia Gunn, 2014 Jacqueline Mitelman. © Jacqueline Mitelman
Hetti
Hetti, 1990 (printed 2013) Michael Riley. © Michael Riley/Copyright Agency, 2024
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman, 1994 (printed 2010) Bill McAuley. © Bill McAuley
Steve Kilbey
Steve Kilbey, 1981 (printed 2018) Gary Ede. © Gary Ede
Helen Garner
Helen Garner, 2004 Julian Kingma. © Julian Kingma
George Spartels
George Spartels, early 1970s Ivan Gaal. © Ivan Gaal
Mick Molloy
Mick Molloy, 2009 Andrew Maccoll. © Andrew Maccoll
Portrait of Benita Collings
Portrait of Benita Collings, 1986 phra ajahn ekaggata fka terry milligan. © phra ajahn ekaggata fka terry milligan
Jon (Jon Muir)
Jon (Jon Muir), 2008 Ian Darling AO. © Ian Darling
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Related information

Tea time, c.1898–1902 by Rupert Bunny (1864–1947)
Tea time, c.1898–1902 by Rupert Bunny (1864–1947)
Tea time, c.1898–1902 by Rupert Bunny (1864–1947)
Tea time, c.1898–1902 by Rupert Bunny (1864–1947)

Impressions

Painting light and life

Previous exhibition, 2011

Impressions: Painting light and life presents portraits by, and of, artists at the heart of Australian impressionism including Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Frederick McCubbin.
Wendy drunk 11pm, 1983 by Brett Whiteley
Wendy drunk 11pm, 1983 by Brett Whiteley
Wendy drunk 11pm, 1983 by Brett Whiteley
Wendy drunk 11pm, 1983 by Brett Whiteley

Idle Hours

Previous exhibition, 2009

Idle hours is an exhibition of luxurious beauty. Paintings, prints and drawings represent subjects in quiet moods and situations arranged according to the time of day they depict - reading, drawing, snoozing, bathing, sewing, gardening, sitting, looking, making love and spending tranquil time with companions. Works in the exhibition range from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present.
The rose, 1927
The rose, 1927
The rose, 1927
The rose, 1927

The World of Thea Proctor

Previous exhibition, 2005

The World of Thea Proctor is the Portrait Gallery's second major biographical exhibition - that is, the second exhibition to focus exclusively on the life and work of a single individual
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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 past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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