Robert Emerson Curtis (1899-1996), illustrator and painter, arrived in Sydney from England in 1924. During World War 2 he worked as a Camouflage Officer attached to the RAAF in Cairns and New Guinea before being appointed an Official War Artist in 1945. The Australian War Memorial holds more than 200 of his works, as well as more photographs of Curtis by Dupain. In the postwar years Curtis shared Dupain's interest in the construction of the Opera House; his A Vision Takes Form - Sydney Opera House was published in 1967. Clem Seale (b. 1922), who is shown sketching Curtis in this photograph, shared a hut with Dupain and Curtis on Goodenough Island, New Guinea during the war. Seale went on to a successful career as an illustrator, painter and lecturer, working for a long time for the Sydney Morning Herald and teaching architectural drawing at the University of Sydney. His son John is an Academy Award-winning cinematographer.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Timothy Fairfax AC 2003
Accession number: 2003.28
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On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves: who we read, who we watch, who we listen to, who we cheer for, who we aspire to be, and who we'll never forget. The Companion is available to buy online and in the Portrait Gallery Store.
Johanna McMahon revels in history and mystery in pursuit of a suite of unknown portrait subjects.
Gael Newton delves into the life and art of renowned Australian photographer, Max Dupain.
During his long and distinguished career Max Dupain took thousands of photographs of people
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