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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 Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Maggie

2023
Del Kathryn Barton

synthetic polymer paint and pigment liner on French linen (frame: 202.7 cm x 182.7 cm depth 7.0 cm)

The portrait both combines a statuesque almost devotional likeness of Maggie Beer with a spell-binding and dream-like personalised symbology of the sitter. In making the work Barton first asked Beer to provide a list of two of her favourite fruit and vegetables from each season. The eight chosen ingredients become pictorial elements woven around her. They signify her passions and personality in the same way the lives of the saints are decipherable through a language of objects in the history of art. These include peas, asparagus, peaches, quince, pomegranate and tomatoes. Beer holds her favourite flower – a yellow rose to her heart, a consciously romantic inclusion by the artist who described her impression that her sitter 'fills up a room with light and energy and generosity'. A pheasant looms large – significant as Beer's first Barossa Valley restaurant was renowned for serving locally sourced pheasant and her famous pheasant farm pate.

The portrait began with a single photographic sitting from which emerged a potent, imaginative and richly embellished portrait, worlds away from the artist's Sydney studio.

Commissioned with funds provided by Hayley Baillie and James Baillie 2023
© Del Kathryn Barton

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Del Kathryn Barton (age 51 in 2023)

Maggie Beer AO (age 78 in 2023)

Supported by

James and Hayley Baillie (1 portrait supported)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

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ABN: 54 74 277 1196

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.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency