Skip to main content
Menu

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.

Jean Bellette

Jean Bellette

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 1976

Portrait of Marjorie Cotton

Jean Isherwood

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 1972

Self portrait

Jean Appleton

In their own words
In their own words

Recorded 1962

Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait

Study for self portrait, c. 1965

Jean Appleton
Portrait, oil on cardboard

Gift of Elisabeth Green 2023

Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait

Study for self portrait, c. 1965

Jean Appleton
Portrait, oil on cardboard

Gift of Elisabeth Green 2023

Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait

Study for self portrait, c. 1965

Jean Appleton
Portrait, oil on cardboard

Gift of Elisabeth Green 2023

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Self portrait, 1965

Jean Appleton
Portrait, oil on masonite

Gift of the Estate of Nicolaas van der Waarden 2013

Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait
Study for self portrait

Study for self portrait, c. 1965

Jean Appleton
Portrait, oil on masonite

Gift of Laurie Curley OAM and Mrs Robyn Curley 2012

Roi de Mestre (Roy de Maistre)
Roi de Mestre (Roy de Maistre)
Roi de Mestre (Roy de Maistre)

Roi de Mestre (Roy de Maistre), c. 1930

Jean Shepeard
Portrait, pastel on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2002

Ola Cohn
Ola Cohn
Ola Cohn

Ola Cohn, 1961

Jean Goldberg
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2002

Jean Bellette
Jean Bellette
Jean Bellette

Jean Bellette, 1937

Adrian Lawlor
Portrait, oil on composition board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Dame Jean Macnamara
Dame Jean Macnamara
Dame Jean Macnamara

Dame Jean Macnamara, c. 1930

Donovan
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of Merran Samuel (nee Connor) 2004. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Jean Campbell
Jean Campbell
Jean Campbell

Jean Campbell, 1950

Wolfgang Sievers
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of an anonymous donor 2010

Self portrait

In good company

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

Jean Appleton’s 1965 self portrait makes a fine addition to the National Portrait Gallery’s collection writes Joanna Gilmour.

Roy de Mastre, c. 1930

An Intimate Portrait of an Australian Artist in 1930

Magazine article by Lauren Dalla, 2003

Lauren Dalla examines the life of Australian painter Roy de Maistre and his portrait by Jean Shepeard.

Linda and Binni
Linda and Binni
Linda and Binni

Linda and Binni, 1984 (printed 2013)

Michael Riley
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased 2013

Chevalier d'Éon, 1792 Thomas Stewart after Jean Laurent Mosnier

Chevalier d'Éon

Thomas Stewart after Jean Laurent Mosnier
Image
La Pérouse
La Pérouse
La Pérouse

La Pérouse, c. 1830s

N Mague, Blaisot
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2009

Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre

Edward John Eyre, 1865

Ferdinand Jean Joubert
Portrait, etching on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Jean Francois de Galaup de la Perouse, Commodore in the French Navy
Jean Francois de Galaup de la Perouse, Commodore in the French Navy
Jean Francois de Galaup de la Perouse, Commodore in the French Navy

Jean Francois de Galaup de la Perouse, Commodore in the French Navy, 1798

James Heath, G G & J Robinson
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

François Péron
François Péron
François Péron

François Péron, c. 1805

Conrad Westermayr after Jean Henri Cless
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm

Caroline Chisholm, 1853

J B. Hunt after Antoine François Jean Claudet
Portrait, steel engraving on paper

Purchased 2015

Linda Burney MLA Canturbury and Rick Farley at home, Marrickville
Linda Burney MLA Canturbury and Rick Farley at home, Marrickville
Linda Burney MLA Canturbury and Rick Farley at home, Marrickville

Linda Burney MLA Canturbury and Rick Farley at home, Marrickville, 2003

Juno Gemes
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2005
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Nlle. Holland Port Jackson: Sauvages des environs de Sydney: Nani, Taran, Abinghou, Broten, Timbere
Nlle. Holland Port Jackson: Sauvages des environs de Sydney: Nani, Taran, Abinghou, Broten, Timbere
Nlle. Holland Port Jackson: Sauvages des environs de Sydney: Nani, Taran, Abinghou, Broten, Timbere

Nlle. Holland Port Jackson: Sauvages des environs de Sydney: Nani, Taran, Abinghou, Broten, Timbere, 1825

Jean Coutant after Jacques Etienne Victor Arago
Portrait, line engraving on paper

Purchased 2015

A Cimiez. Promenade matinale (Queen Victoria)
A Cimiez. Promenade matinale (Queen Victoria)
A Cimiez. Promenade matinale (Queen Victoria)

A Cimiez. Promenade matinale (Queen Victoria), 1897

Jean Baptiste Guth, Vanity Fair Magazine
Portrait, chromolithograph on paper

Purchased 2015

La Perouse, from a miniature in the possession of La Perouse's niece at Alby
La Perouse, from a miniature in the possession of La Perouse's niece at Alby
La Perouse, from a miniature in the possession of La Perouse's niece at Alby

La Perouse, from a miniature in the possession of La Perouse's niece at Alby, n.d.

Thomas Woolnoth, Charles Knight
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria, 1901

The Illustrated London News after Jean Joseph Benjamin-Constant
Portrait, photogravure on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Michael Riley's portraits

Portrait story

Linda Burney, Brenda Croft and Darrell Sibosado share memories of Michael Riley and his photographic practice.

La Perouse
La Perouse
La Perouse

La Perouse, 1830s

Thomas Woolnoth, William Mackenzie, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London & New York
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Ted and Gina Gregg 2012

Portrait of Marjorie Cotton
Portrait of Marjorie Cotton
Portrait of Marjorie Cotton

Portrait of Marjorie Cotton, 1969

Jean Isherwood OAM
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Marjorie Cotton Isherwood 2002

Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster
Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster
Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster

Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster, c. 1780

Jean Francois Rigaud
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Liangis family, the Ian Potter Foundation and John Schaeffer AO 2009

Dame Jean Macnamara

Dame Jean Macnamara

Google Arts and Culture
Learning resources

Learn about the Australian doctor and scientist who dedicated her life to the research and treatment of poliomyelitis. For Year 5 – 7 students.

Portrait 47

Spring/Summer 2014
Magazine

This issue features Michael Riley, TextaQueen, Thea Proctor, Jean Appleton, In the flesh, digital identity and more.

Old Parts, 2013 by Donna Stevens

Old Parts, 2013

by Donna Stevens
Image
Blek Bala MJ, 2017 by Timothy Hillier, video: 6 minutes

Blek Bala MJ, 2017

by Timothy Hillier
General content

Finalist, DPA 2017
Single channel HD digital video

Hetti

Beauty and strength

Portraits by Michael Riley
Previous exhibition, 2014

Influential Indigenous Australian artist Michael Riley (1960 - 2004) created these portrait photographs between 1984 and 1990 - they stand as an intricately connected group portrait of the vibrant urban-based Indigenous arts community in Sydney's inner-west at a formative moment.

Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet

Sir Macfarlane Burnet, late 1960s

Louis Kahan AO
Portrait, pen and ink on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1998

Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet

Sir Macfarlane Burnet, late 1970s

Louis Kahan AO
Portrait, pen and ink on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1998

London, 1952 by Bill Brandt

Bill Brandt

A Retrospective
Previous exhibition, 2002

From Brandt's early work that documents fixed social contrasts of pre-World War II life in Britain to his later experimentation with a surreal style, this exhibition spans 50 years of Brandt's far reaching career in an extensive assemblage of 155 vintage gelatin silver prints from the Bill Brandt Archive in London.

Wally (Wouter) De Backer
Wally (Wouter) De Backer
Wally (Wouter) De Backer

Wally (Wouter) De Backer, 2013 (printed 2014)

Julian Kingma
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Kylie, 2004

Kylie

An Exhibition
Previous exhibition, 2005

Kylie Minogue, one of Australia's most famous cultural exports is now the subject of her own exhibition.

Our only concern is the void, 2013 by Nik Lee, video: 12 minutes

Our only concern is the void, 2013

by Nik Lee
General content

Winner, MDPA 2013

Paul Haefliger
Paul Haefliger
Paul Haefliger

Paul Haefliger, 1974

Judy Cassab AO CBE
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2003
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Eileen Dunne in The Hospital for Sick Children, 1940
	 by Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton

Portraits
Previous exhibition, 2005

Accomplished illustrator, painter, writer and diarist, set designer and one of the most distinguished photographers of the twentieth century, Cecil Beaton is renowned for his portraits of well known faces from the worlds of fashion, literature, and film.

Self portrait, 1970 by Matthew Perceval

Portrait Paintings by Matthew Perceval

Previous exhibition, 2007

From 1967 until 1981 Matthew Perceval lived and painted in France and during those years produced a large body of portrait paintings.

Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet

Sir Macfarlane Burnet, 1968

Mark Strizic
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased with funds provided by Sir Roderick Carnegie 2003

Lewis Morley
Lewis Morley
Lewis Morley

Lewis Morley, 2003

Sage
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2003

John Mawurndjul
John Mawurndjul
John Mawurndjul

John Mawurndjul, 1986

Martin van der Wal
Portrait, inkjet print on rag paper

Purchased 2005

Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts
Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts
Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts

Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts, 1910

Tom Roberts
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with the assistance of funds provided by the Circle of Friends 2013

Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman, 2020

Vincent Fantauzzo
Portrait, oil on canvas

Commissioned with funds provided by the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation and Paul Dainty AM and Donna Dainty 2020

Nude self portrait
Nude self portrait
Nude self portrait

Nude self portrait, 1977

Lewis Morley
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2003
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Professor John Mulvaney
Professor John Mulvaney
Professor John Mulvaney

Professor John Mulvaney, 1984

Janenne Eaton
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of John and Jean Mulvaney 2000

Betty Churcher
Betty Churcher
Betty Churcher

Betty Churcher, 1994

Anne Zahalka
Portrait, ilfochrome photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2021

Chester Porter QC
Chester Porter QC
Chester Porter QC

Chester Porter QC, 1997

Graeme Inson
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on board

Gift of Jean Porter and family 2021. Donated through the Australia Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.

image not online

Kylie Minogue 2, 2018 (printed 2020)

Nicole Bentley
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2020

image not online

Kylie Minogue 1, 2018 (printed 2020)

Nicole Bentley
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2020

Self portrait in reflection
Self portrait in reflection
Self portrait in reflection

Self portrait in reflection, 1973

Lewis Morley
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of the artist 2003. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Julian Ashton Life Class
Julian Ashton Life Class
Julian Ashton Life Class

Julian Ashton Life Class, 1920

Harold Cazneaux
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Purchased 2015

Adams Apple, 2013 by Petrina Hicks

Alienation

More about In the flesh

Segregated from their fellow humans in cellophane prisons, reference points are removed, so it is not certain whether these naked figures could be unwrapped, are about to be subsumed, or will forever be suspended in a plastic stasis.

Albert Namatjira

Sir William Dargie

A Ninetieth Birthday Tribute
Previous exhibition, 2002

As a tribute to Sir William Dargie's singular contribution to Australian art and cultural institutions, and on the occasion of his birthday, The Australian War Memorial, Parliament House and the National Portrait Gallery will mount exhibitions of his work between May and October

Stevie Wright
Stevie Wright
Stevie Wright

Stevie Wright, 1975 (printed 2011)

Gary Ede
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2011

Francois-Marius Granet, 1807

Ingres in Paris

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2006

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was one of the greatest portrait painters in history.

Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Macfarlane Burnet

Sir Macfarlane Burnet, 1960-1961

Sir William Dargie CBE
Portrait, oil on composition board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 1999

Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy
Graeme Murphy

Graeme Murphy, n.d.

Stuart Campbell
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of the Estate of Stuart Campbell 2012

Marilyn Ball, Albatross, 2018 (detail) by Linde Ivimey

So Fine

Contemporary women artists make Australian history
Previous exhibition, 2018

This exhibition features new works from ten women artists reinterpreting and reimagining elements of Australian history, enriching the contemporary narrative around Australia’s history and biography, reflecting the tradition of storytelling in our country.

Professor Peter Doherty

Australia and the Nobel Prize

Previous exhibition, 2003

This unique exhibition will give an insight into the private lives, pursuits and work of all the Nobel laureates associated with Australia

Sydney Cove medallion, 1789 by Josiah Wedgwood

The medallion

About Face article

In recent years I have become fascinated by the so-called Sydney Cove Medallion (1789), a work of art that bridges the 10,000-mile gap between the newly established penal settlement at Port Jackson and the beating heart of Enlightenment England.

James, 2012 by Myles Nelson

Myles Nelson

Finalist interviews

It was definitely a candid encounter as was the expression on the face. It was constructed insofar as the image was deliberately taken from a distance so as to minimize intrusion and to magnify the effect of the image.

Nicola Dickson

Contributing artists

Born: 1959, Southport, QLD
Works: Canberra

Jessie Street

First Ladies

Significant Australian Women 1913–2013
Previous exhibition, 2013

First Ladies profiles women who have achieved noteworthy firsts over the past 100 years.

Charles Blondin
Charles Blondin
Charles Blondin

Charles Blondin, 1874

Timothy Noble
Portrait, carte de visite photograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Portrait of Mr Frank Packer

Judy Cassab

The artist's diary
Previous exhibition, 2013

The artist's diary profiles six decades of Cassab's work, from the early portrait commissions of the 1950s to later paintings that have helped confirm her eminent place in the canon of Australian portraiture.

Vanity Fair, April, 2004

International issue

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2009

Michael Desmond looks at the history of the Vanity Fair magazine in conjunction with the exhibition Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008

Sir Ian Potter

Mark Strizic

A Journey in Photography
Previous exhibition, 2004

This exhibition traces the creative output of nearly 50 years by one of Australia's landmark living photographers.

Mirror Mirror: Graeme Murphy

Reflections on a Hologram

Magazine article by Sam Bowker, 2005

Sam Bowker examines Paula Dawson's Mirror, Mirror - a holographic portrait of Graeme Murphy.

Margaret Fulton

Masters of Fare

Chefs, winemakers, providores
Previous exhibition, 2004

Masters of fare: chefs, winemakers, providores celebrates men and women who have championed the unique culinary characteristics and produce of Australia, enriching our lives with new ideas and new flavours over the past forty years.

Lee Kernaghan near Broken Hill

Australian of the Year

Inspiring a Nation
Previous exhibition, 2010

The Australian of the Year Awards have often provoked controversy about who is selected and whether their achievements are remarkable.

Queen Alexandra and Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, Hvidore, circa 1908 by Mary Steen

The cost of living luxuriously

About Face article

In 1904, the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia purchased as a gift for her sister, Queen Alexandra, a fan composed of two-color gold, guilloché enamel, mother-of-pearl, blond tortoiseshell, gold sequins, silk, cabochon rubies, and rose diamonds from the House of Fabergé in Saint Petersburg.

Andy Thomas

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling
Previous exhibition, 2015

This exhibition showcases portraits acquired through the generosity of the National Portrait Gallery’s Founding Patrons, L Gordon Darling AC CMG and Marilyn Darling AC.

Elle Macpherson

Australian Visit

Previous exhibition, 2006

The exhibition will include works of art from the NPG Canberra's permanent collection with some inward loans and aims to highlight the achievements of notable Australians.

Video still from Dream Job, 2011 by David M Thomas

My dream job

Magazine article by David Thomas AM, 2012

Artist David M Thomas lists some of the ideas and influences behind his video portraits.

Self portrait, 1970

Painters' paradise

Magazine article by Andrew Sayers AM, 2007

Andrew Sayers feels the warmth in the paintings Matthew Perceval made while the sun shone in southern France.

Martin Schoeller 2008

The God-shaped hole

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2010

Exploring the photographs of Martin Schoeller, Michael Desmond delves into the uneasy pact that exists between celebrity and the camera.

Trans-, 2004-05 by Tejal Shah

Tejal Shah

by Gitanjali Dang
Artist essays

Born in 1979, Tejal Shah grew up in Chhattisgarh, central India, moving to Bombay in 1995.

Ethel Turner

Moving in creative circles

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2008

Harold Cazneaux's portraits of influential Sydneysiders included Margaret Preston and Ethel Turner, both important figures in the development of ideas about Australian identity and culture.

Portrait of an English Woman c. 1532-5 (detail)

A new perspective

Magazine article by Celina Fox, 2006

An exhibition devoted to Hans Holbein's English commissions shows the portraitist bringing across the Channel new technical developments in art - with a dazzling facility.

Louis XVI giving final instructions to the Comte de La Perouse, c. 1785

Sea legged frogs

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2011

Joanna Gilmour describes some of the stories of the individuals and incidents that define French exploration of Australia and the Pacific.

image not online

Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
Life Dancers, 2015 by Elizabeth Looker

NPPP 2016 exhibition essay

General content

Penny Grist, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2016 Prize.

Mural of Italian/Roman actress Anna Magnani (1908­–1973) with face mask, April 2020 Unknown artist

Of plague and portraits

About Face article

Corinna Cullen on the symbolic power of pandemic-related imagery over the ages.

Group photograph taken at the coronation of King George VI including Queen Elizabeth II, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Queen Mother, 12 May 1937 by Hay Wrightson

Poise and Carats

About Face article

I keep going back to Cartier: The Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia next door, and, within the exhibition, to Princess Marie Louise’s diamond, pearl and sapphire Indian tiara (1923), surely one of the most superb head ornaments ever conceived.

Karl Robert, Count Nesselrode, 1818 by Sir Thomas Lawrence

The Lawrence lustre

Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2019

Angus Trumble salutes the glorious portraiture of Sir Thomas Lawrence.

Self Portrait with Stetson, 2011 by Darren McDonald

Painting them gently

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2015

Penny Grist on motivation, method and melancholy in the portraiture of Darren McDonald.

Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnial, Marquis de Vaudreuil, ca.1753-55

Canadian identities

Magazine article by Lilly Koltun, 2004

An exploration of national identity in the Canadian context drawn from the symposium Face to Face at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2004.

Studio portrait of servicewoman Lance Corporal Kathleen Jean Mary (Kath) Walker, c.1942

Past present

Magazine article by Krysia Kitch, 2016

Krysia Kitch celebrates Oodgeroo Noonuccal.

Yellow portrait (portrait of Alex Jelinek)

Fugue in Yellow

Magazine article by Roger Benjamin, 2015

Roger Benjamin explores the intriguing union of Lina Bryans and Alex Jelinek.

Tony Bilson

Eating the seasons

Magazine article by Dr Anne Sanders, 2019

Anne Sanders imbibes Tony Bilson’s gastronomic revolution.

Geoffrey Graham

The mind's eye

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2017

Christopher Chapman takes a trip through the doors of perception, arriving at the junction of surrealism and psychoanalysis.

Tempe Manning Self-portrait 1939

A potpourri of portraits

Magazine article by Natalie Wilson, 2023

Archie 100 curator (and detective) Natalie Wilson’s nationwide search for Archibald portraits unearthed the fascinating stories behind some long-lost treasures.

Portrait of Dr Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster

To the end of the earth

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

The portrait of Dr. Johann Reinhold Forster and his son George Forster from 1780, is one of the oldest in the NPG's collection.

Eileen Dunne in The Hospital for Sick Children, 1940

The incomparable Beaton

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

To accompany the exhibition Cecil Beaton: Portraits, held at the NPG in 2005, this article is drawn from Hugo Vickers's authorised biography, Cecil Beaton (1985).

National Portrait Gallery

History

About us

How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be

The Long Awaited, 2008 by Patricia Piccinini

In the flesh

Magazine article by Penelope Grist, 2015

An exhibition of humanness in ten themes by Penelope Grist.

Sarah Bernhardt, 1876 by Georges Clairin

Demimonde liaisons

Magazine article by Jane Raffan, 2017

Jane Raffan feasts on modernity’s entrée in the Belle Époque theatre of the demimonde.

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose, 1885-86 by 
John Singer Sargent

A feast of friends

Magazine article by Richard Ormond, 2015

John Singer Sargent: a painter at the vanguard of contemporary movements in music, literature and theatre.

Helena Rubinstein in a red brocade Balenciaga gown

Study in scarlet

Magazine article by Angus Trumble, 2018

Angus Trumble reflects on the force of nature that was Helena Rubinstein.

Helen Borthwick née Pearson

The personal and the historical

About Face article

Where do we draw a line between the personal and the historical? Although she died in Melbourne in 1975, when I was not quite eleven years old, I have the vividest memories of my maternal grandmother Helen Borthwick.

Helen Blaxland judging flower arrangements, c. 1940s photographer unknown

Petal to the mettle

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2019

Sarah Engledow lauds the very civil service of Dame Helen Blaxland.

The Art Lovers - Megan, 2013 by Gary Grealy

Everybody, look serious

NPPP 2014 exhibition essay
General content

Dr Sarah Engledow, National Photographic Portrait Prize judge and curator, introduces the 2014 Prize.

Barry Humphries

Uncommon Australians

The vision of Gordon and Marilyn Darling
General content

Sarah Engledow writes about Gordon and Marilyn Darling and their support for the National Portrait Gallery throughout its evolution.

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
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