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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.

Woburn Sheepshearing
Woburn Sheepshearing
Woburn Sheepshearing

Woburn Sheepshearing, 1811

Thomas Morris, M N. Bates, Joseph C. Stadler after George Garrard
Portrait, aquatint with stipple and etching and engraving, hand coloured on chine colle on paper laid down on cotton stretched over wooden strainer

Purchased 2018

Jonno and Api, 2016 by Joseph Brennan

Jonno and Api, 2016

by Joseph Brennan
Image
Joseph Brown
Joseph Brown
Joseph Brown

Joseph Brown, 1980

Brian Dunlop
Portrait, watercolour and gouache on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Joseph Cotta
Joseph Cotta
Joseph Cotta

Joseph Cotta, 1984

Janet Dawson
Portrait, pastel on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Joseph Mathew Cotta and Gladys Maria Cotta 2016

Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists
Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists
Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists

Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists, 1996

Noel McKenna
Portrait, enamel on canvas

Gift of the artist 2021. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks, 1802

William Ridley
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Gina and Ted Gregg 2010

The great South Sea caterpillar transformed into a Bath Butterfly (Sir Joseph Banks)
The great South Sea caterpillar transformed into a Bath Butterfly (Sir Joseph Banks)
The great South Sea caterpillar transformed into a Bath Butterfly (Sir Joseph Banks)

The great South Sea caterpillar transformed into a Bath Butterfly (Sir Joseph Banks), 1795 (printed 1851)

James Gillray
Portrait, etching, hand coloured on paper

Gift of Douglas Stewart Fine Books 2013

Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks
Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks
Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks

Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, c. 1814

Thomas Phillips
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased 2011

Joe Darling (Joseph Darling, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)
Joe Darling (Joseph Darling, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)
Joe Darling (Joseph Darling, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team)

Joe Darling (Joseph Darling, member of the 1896 Australian Cricket Team), 1896

H Parker Rolfe
Portrait, albumen photograph on cabinet card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2014

Joseph Cotta
Joseph Cotta
Joseph Cotta

Joseph Cotta, 1983-1984

Janet Dawson
Portrait, charcoal on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker

Joseph Dalton Hooker, c. 1860

Rui Hoffmann
Portrait, lithograph on India laid paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2012

The Fly Catching Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)
The Fly Catching Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)
The Fly Catching Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)

The Fly Catching Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks), 1772

Matthias Darly
Portrait, etching on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

The Botanic Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)
The Botanic Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)
The Botanic Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks)

The Botanic Macaroni (Sir Joseph Banks), 1772

Matthias Darly
Portrait, etching on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2018

Telphia
Telphia
Telphia

Telphia, 1990 (printed 2013)

Michael Riley
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased 2013

Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley

Ben Chifley, n.d.

Max Dupain OBE
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Gift of Danina Dupain Anderson 2017. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Sir Joseph Banks

In a good paddock

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2011

Celebrating a new painted portrait of Joseph Banks, Sarah Engledow spins a yarn of the naturalist, the first kangaroo in France and Don, a Spanish ram.

Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society
Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society
Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society

Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society, 1812

N Schiavonetti after Thomas Phillips
Portrait, line engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe

Charles Joseph La Trobe, 1853

Thomas Woolner
Portrait, cast bronze relief medallion

Purchased 2006

Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker
Joseph Dalton Hooker

Joseph Dalton Hooker, c. 1880s

an unknown artist
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

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

Archbishop Thomas Joseph Carr
Archbishop Thomas Joseph Carr
Archbishop Thomas Joseph Carr

Archbishop Thomas Joseph Carr, c. 1886

Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, carte de visite photograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne
Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne
Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne

Thomas Joseph Carr, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, c. 1887

Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, albumen silver photograph on cabinet card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley
Ben Chifley

Ben Chifley, 1951

John Frith
Portrait, cast plaster, patinated and bronze powder coated pipe

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the Frith family 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Lola Montes
Lola Montes
Lola Montes

Lola Montes, c. 1845

Joseph Karl Stieler
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased 2010

Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks, 1811

William Daniell after George Dance
Portrait, soft ground etching on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Joseph Banks Esq
Joseph Banks Esq
Joseph Banks Esq

Joseph Banks Esq, 1774

William Dickinson after Sir Joshua Reynolds
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Purchased 2008

Joseph Banks and Dr Solander
Joseph Banks and Dr Solander
Joseph Banks and Dr Solander

Joseph Banks and Dr Solander, 1778

an unknown artist
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Gina and Ted Gregg 2010

The great South Sea caterpillar transformed into a Bath Butterfly (Sir Joseph Banks)

The Bath Butterfly

About Face article

The caricaturist and engraver James Gillray's biting satires about Sir Joseph Banks. 

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.

Nicolas Baudin, Capitaine de Vaisseau. Commandant I'Expedition pour le tour du Monde et Specialement relatif aux Sciences et auz Arts, entreprise en I'An gme, 1800
Nicolas Baudin, Capitaine de Vaisseau. Commandant I'Expedition pour le tour du Monde et Specialement relatif aux Sciences et auz Arts, entreprise en I'An gme, 1800
Nicolas Baudin, Capitaine de Vaisseau. Commandant I'Expedition pour le tour du Monde et Specialement relatif aux Sciences et auz Arts, entreprise en I'An gme, 1800

Nicolas Baudin, Capitaine de Vaisseau. Commandant I'Expedition pour le tour du Monde et Specialement relatif aux Sciences et auz Arts, entreprise en I'An gme, 1800, 1800

François Bonneville after Joseph Jauffret
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe
Charles Joseph La Trobe

Charles Joseph La Trobe, c. 1857

Samuel Bellin after Francis Grant
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Purchased 2010

Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks, c. 1788

John Raphael Smith after Sir Benjamin West
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Purchased 2010

Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks, 1840s

C E. Wagstaff after Thomas Phillips
Portrait, engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Gina and Ted Gregg 2010

image not online

Joe Darling (image plate from The Empire's Cricketers. London: Fine Art Society), 1905

an unknown artist after Albert Chevallier Tayler
Portrait, chromolithograph

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2017

The last of England 1855

Pre-Raphaelite Profile

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2006

In 2006 the National Portrait Gallery acquired a splendid portrait of Victoria's first governor, Lieutenant Governor Charles Joseph La Trobe by Thomas Woolner.

Portrait of Captain James Cook RN

Thrown together

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2009

Shipmates for years, James Cook and Joseph Banks each kept a journal but neither man shed light on their relationship.

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.

Portrait of Captain James Cook RN

The Quiet Australian

Magazine article by Brian Dale, 2001

Robert Oatley talks about the repatriation of the John Webber portrait of Captain James Cook.

Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks
Sir Joseph Banks

Sir Joseph Banks, 1810

William Evans, Anthony Cardon after Sir Thomas Lawrence
Portrait, engraving on paper

Purchased with funds provided by the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society Canberra 2000

Portrait of Brian Dunlop

A quiet moment

Magazine article by Helene Ladomirska, 2006

As Bryan Westwood’s portrait of Brian Dunlop hangs adjacent to Brian Dunlop’s portrait of the philanthropist Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE, we see the artist of one work as the subject of the other. 

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

Bruny d'Entrecasteaux
Bruny d'Entrecasteaux
Bruny d'Entrecasteaux

Bruny d'Entrecasteaux, 1837

Antoine Maurin
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

Joe and Brenda
Joe and Brenda
Joe and Brenda

Joe and Brenda, 1990 (printed 2013)

Michael Riley
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased 2013

Opening of the First Legislative Council of Victoria by Governor Charles Joseph LaTrobe at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, Melbourne November 13th 1851
Opening of the First Legislative Council of Victoria by Governor Charles Joseph LaTrobe at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, Melbourne November 13th 1851
Opening of the First Legislative Council of Victoria by Governor Charles Joseph LaTrobe at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, Melbourne November 13th 1851

Opening of the First Legislative Council of Victoria by Governor Charles Joseph LaTrobe at St Patrick's Hall, Bourke Street West, Melbourne November 13th 1851, 1883

John Noone after William Strutt
Portrait, photolithograph on paper

Purchased 2013

Joseph and Worm, 2008 by Justin Spiers

Joseph and Worm, 2008

by Justin Spiers
Image
Sir Joseph Banks, Bt, 1771-1773 Sir Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joseph Banks, Bt

Sir Joshua Reynolds
Image
Joseph Paul Gaimard
Joseph Paul Gaimard
Joseph Paul Gaimard

Joseph Paul Gaimard, c. 1830

De Bove
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Portrait 39

March - May 2011
Magazine

This issue features the National Photographic Portrait Prize, Neil Murray, Lee Tulloch on Stuart Campbell, Joseph Banks, Scott Redford and more.

Portrait 38

December 2010 - February 2011
Magazine

This issue features Martin Schoeller, Bess Norriss Tait, Emanuel Solomon and the sisters of St Joseph, Rennie Ellis and AC/DC, John Brack and more.

Arthur Boyd
Arthur Boyd
Arthur Boyd

Arthur Boyd, c. 1982

Wes Walters
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Gladys Cotta
Gladys Cotta
Gladys Cotta

Gladys Cotta, 1984

Janet Dawson
Portrait, pastel on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Joseph Mathew Cotta and Gladys Maria Cotta 2016

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.

Hetti

A photographer’s glamorous friends

Nearest & Dearest

Community, arts, activism

The Royal Society medal in commemoration of Captain James Cook
The Royal Society medal in commemoration of Captain James Cook
The Royal Society medal in commemoration of Captain James Cook

The Royal Society medal in commemoration of Captain James Cook, 1784

Lewis Pingo
Portrait, silver medal

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Robert Oatley AO 2007

Portrait of Dr John Hawkesworth
Portrait of Dr John Hawkesworth
Portrait of Dr John Hawkesworth

Portrait of Dr John Hawkesworth, c. 1770

an unknown artist after Sir Joshua Reynolds
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by the Liangis family 2018

Maria Dowling and her children Leura, Bessie, Selina, Jane, Jack, Ben and Joe Dowling  [Selina Dowling, Jane Dowling, Maria Jane Dowling (née Ware), John Ware Dowling, Joseph Dowling, Benjamin Dowling, Elizabeth (Bessie) Dowling, Leura Dowling]
Maria Dowling and her children Leura, Bessie, Selina, Jane, Jack, Ben and Joe Dowling  [Selina Dowling, Jane Dowling, Maria Jane Dowling (née Ware), John Ware Dowling, Joseph Dowling, Benjamin Dowling, Elizabeth (Bessie) Dowling, Leura Dowling]
Maria Dowling and her children Leura, Bessie, Selina, Jane, Jack, Ben and Joe Dowling  [Selina Dowling, Jane Dowling, Maria Jane Dowling (née Ware), John Ware Dowling, Joseph Dowling, Benjamin Dowling, Elizabeth (Bessie) Dowling, Leura Dowling]

Maria Dowling and her children Leura, Bessie, Selina, Jane, Jack, Ben and Joe Dowling [Selina Dowling, Jane Dowling, Maria Jane Dowling (née Ware), John Ware Dowling, Joseph Dowling, Benjamin Dowling, Elizabeth (Bessie) Dowling, Leura Dowling], c. 1859

an unknown artist
Portrait, ambrotype, hand coloured

Gift of Malcolm Robertson in memory of William Thomas Robertson 2018. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Runners, 2010 by David Kelly

Runners, 2010

by David Kelly
Image
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.

Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists

Unboxed

Magazine article by Sandra Bruce, 2022

Sandra Bruce explores a new acquisition that has within it a story of interconnectivities in the Australian art world.

Angus Trumble with Portrait of Sir Joseph Banks by Thomas Phillips

Banksia and grevillea

About Face article

Portraits can render honour to remarkable men and women, but there are other ways.

Professor Mandyam Srinivasan

Brains trust

About Face article

Eminent doctors and scientists have for more than a century consistently caused our nation to punch far above her weight.

Lola Montes

Bringing down a kingdom

Lust

The king and the showgirl

Lieutenant King
Lieutenant King
Lieutenant King

Lieutenant King, 1789

William Skelton after J. Wright
Portrait, engraving on paper

Purchased 2010

Meryl Tankard

Dancer

Touring exhibition, 2024

From letting loose in the loungeroom to enthralling audiences on stage, this exhibition celebrates dance and dancers.

Corroboree, or Dance of the Natives of New South Wales
Corroboree, or Dance of the Natives of New South Wales
Corroboree, or Dance of the Natives of New South Wales

Corroboree, or Dance of the Natives of New South Wales, 1820

Walter Preston
Portrait, engraving, hand coloured on paper

Purchased 2013

Dr Solander
Dr Solander
Dr Solander

Dr Solander, 1772

an unknown artist
Portrait, copper-line engraving on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2009

William Westall
William Westall
William Westall

William Westall, 1854

William Daniell after George Dance
Portrait, etching on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2011

M.O. Ranger 3: Preparatory study for 'Nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground'
M.O. Ranger 3: Preparatory study for 'Nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground'
M.O. Ranger 3: Preparatory study for 'Nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground'

M.O. Ranger 3: Preparatory study for 'Nothing's as precious as a hole in the ground', 2001

eX de Medici
Portrait, watercolour, gouache and pencil on paper

Commissioned with funds from the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001

International Penny Postage (Mr John Henniker Heaton MP)
International Penny Postage (Mr John Henniker Heaton MP)
International Penny Postage (Mr John Henniker Heaton MP)

International Penny Postage (Mr John Henniker Heaton MP), 1887

Sir Leslie Ward, Vanity Fair Magazine
Portrait, chromolithograph on paper

Gift of Ronald Walker 2002

Dame Enid Lyons
Dame Enid Lyons
Dame Enid Lyons

Dame Enid Lyons, c. 1943

Justine Kong Sing
Portrait, watercolour and gouache on ivory

Purchased 2016

Lady Knox
Lady Knox
Lady Knox

Lady Knox, c. 1927-1929

W B McInnes
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Mrs Caroline Philippa Parker 2005. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.

Emily Fairfax
Emily Fairfax
Emily Fairfax

Emily Fairfax, 1870

William Macleod
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of John Fairfax Holdings Ltd 2002
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Mary Ware
Mary Ware
Mary Ware

Mary Ware, c. 1854

Robert Dowling
Portrait, oil on canvas on board

Purchased with funds provided by Mary Isabel Murphy and Rosalind Blair Murphy 2014

Omai, A Native of Ulaietea
Omai, A Native of Ulaietea
Omai, A Native of Ulaietea

Omai, A Native of Ulaietea, 1774

Francesco Bartolozzi after Nathaniel Dance
Portrait, engraving on paper

Purchased with funds provided by Robert Oatley AO 2007

Robert Brown
Robert Brown
Robert Brown

Robert Brown, c. 1835

Dario Castellini after Carlo Liverati
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2014

Portrait of Brian Dunlop
Portrait of Brian Dunlop
Portrait of Brian Dunlop

Portrait of Brian Dunlop, c. 1972

Bryan Westwood
Portrait, oil on canvas laid on cardboard

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

Death mask of George Melville courtesy of National Trust of Australia (Victoria), Old Melbourne Gaol Collection

A colourful story from Sideshow Alley

Infamy, the macabre & the portrait
About Face article

From infamous bushranger to oyster shop display, curator Jo Gilmour explores the life of George Melville.

Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide
Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide
Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide

Catholic clergymen from the Diocese of Adelaide, c. 1862

Stephen Edward Nixon
Portrait, carte de visite photograph

Purchased 2018

Sir Zelman Cowen
Sir Zelman Cowen
Sir Zelman Cowen

Sir Zelman Cowen, 2000

Wes Walters
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Marc Besen AO and Dr Joseph Brown AO OBE 2000

Dawn Fraser

Out of the blocks

Early sporting fame
General content

Dawn Fraser, Lionel Rose, Shane Gould and Cathy Freeman

William Bligh
William Bligh
William Bligh

William Bligh, c. 1776

John Webber
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Liangis family 2015

Fred Hilmer
Fred Hilmer
Fred Hilmer

Fred Hilmer, 2018

Evert Ploeg
Portrait, oil on linen

Commissioned with funds provided by Dr Helen Nugent AO 2018

A G Stephens
A G Stephens
A G Stephens

A G Stephens, c. 1910 (printed later)

an unknown artist
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2012

Portrait of Mary MacKillop c 1873

The Saint and the merchant

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Emanuel Solomon gave shelter to the Sisters of St Joseph upon the excommunication of St Mary MacKillop.

Ed Murrow, New York
Ed Murrow, New York
Ed Murrow, New York

Ed Murrow, New York, 1956 (printed 2000)

David Moore
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001. Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
The series 'David Moore: From Face to Face' was acquired as a gift of the artist and with financial assistance from Timothy Fairfax AC and L Gordon Darling AC CMG 2001.

Right Rev Dr Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF
Right Rev Dr Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF
Right Rev Dr Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF

Right Rev Dr Lawrence Bonaventure Sheil OSF, c. 1872

Bardwell's Royal Studio
Portrait, albumen silver carte de visite

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

Betty Burstall

Arthur Boyd Portraits

Previous exhibition, 1999

This is the first in a series of National Portrait Gallery exhibitions to survey the portraits painted by artists who are not thought of, primarily, as portrait painters

Ellen Stirling
Ellen Stirling
Ellen Stirling

Ellen Stirling, c. 1828

Thomas Phillips
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Ian Potter Foundation 2008

Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2014

22 August 2014
Archived media releases 2014

Press releases for media.

William Johnson (1873—1948) by Percy Leason

Recognition

Percy Leason's Aboriginal Portraits
Previous exhibition, 1999

Originally conceived as an anthropological record, Percy Leason’s powerful 1934 portraits of Victorian Aboriginal people are today considered to be a highlight of 20th century Australian portraiture

Admiral Bligh
Admiral Bligh
Admiral Bligh

Admiral Bligh, 1801

John Chapman
Portrait, stipple engraving on paper

Purchased 2010

Thomas Pearce
Thomas Pearce
Thomas Pearce

Thomas Pearce, c. 1878

The Photographic Society of Victoria, Melbourne
Portrait, albumen paper carte de visite on card

Purchased 2010

Sketch of Clifton Pugh painting John Perceval
Sketch of Clifton Pugh painting John Perceval
Sketch of Clifton Pugh painting John Perceval

Sketch of Clifton Pugh painting John Perceval, 1985

Rick Amor
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2016

Lady Barkly
Lady Barkly
Lady Barkly

Lady Barkly, 1863

Batchelder & O'Neill
Portrait, albumen silver carte de visite on card

Purchased 2014

Bob Hawke

Primed

Some Prime Ministers
Previous exhibition, 2019

Seventeen of Australia’s thirty prime ministers to date are represented in the contrasting sizes, moods and mediums of these portraits.

The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty
The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty
The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty

The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty, 1790

Robert Dodd
Portrait, aquatint engraving on paper

Purchased with funds provided by the Ian Potter Foundation 2008

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.

Ned Kelly death mask

Sideshow Alley

Infamy, the macabre & the portrait
Previous exhibition, 2015

Death masks, post-mortem drawings and other spooky and disquieting portraits... Come and see how portraits of infamous Australians were used in the 19th century.

Fred Hilmer

Fred Hilmer, 2018

by Evert Ploeg
General content

Commissioned with funds provided by Dr Helen Nugent AO 2018

Lustre, held by a Groom, ca. 1762 by George Stubbs

Stubbs and the horse

About Face article

One of the chief aims of George Stubbs, 1724–1806, the late Judy Egerton’s great 198485 exhibition at the Tate Gallery was to provide an eloquent rebuttal to Josiah Wedgwood’s famous remark of 1780: “Noboby suspects Mr Stubs [sic] of painting anything but horses & lions, or dogs & tigers.”

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.

Greek Orthodox Priest, 2015 by Sarah Ball

Hope for kindness

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2018

Sarah Engledow arrives at the junction of fate and hope in Sarah Ball’s poignant Immigrants series.

JK Rowling, 2005

Why do painted portraits still matter?

Magazine article by Sandy Nairne, 2006

Lecture by Sandy Nairne, Director, National Portrait Gallery, London, given at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra on 28 April 2006.

Professor Peter Doherty

The Changing Face of the Scientist

Magazine article by Elizabeth Finlay, 2003

Scientists tend to conjure up images of men in white coats in labs but this is just one stereotype in an evolving history of how we have perceived scientists, and how their profession has been understood over the years.

Unheroic Materialism: little harmless fragments of memory and association: a portrait of Angus Trumble, 2019 Evert Ploeg

The last word

Magazine article by Dr David Hansen, 2022

David Hansen’s tribute to his close friend, prince of words and former National Portrait Gallery director, the late Angus Trumble.

Tracey

Sophisticated and glamorous

Magazine article by Amanda Rowell, 2015

Michael Riley’s early portraits by Amanda Rowell.

Pass to converse, 2003 by Melati Suryodarmo

Melati Suryodarmo

by Hendro Wiyanto
Artist essays

Born in Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia in 1969, Melati Suryodarmo’s first degree was in international relations.

Ned Kelly death mask

Getting a head

Magazine article by Alexandra Roginski, 2015

Alexandra Roginski gets a feel for phrenology’s fundamentals.

Forest Creek, Mount Alexander Diggings, 1852 by S. T. Gill

The Rothschilds, the Montefiores, and the Victorian Gold Rush

About Face article

Some years ago my colleague Andrea Wolk Rager and I spent several days in the darkened basement of a Rothschild Bank, inspecting every one of the nearly 700 autochromes created immediately before World War I by the youthful Lionel de Rothschild.

image not online

Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
Dr Alison Inglis, AM, 2023 Dena Kahan

School portraits

About Face article

Inga Walton sheds light on a portraiture collection usually only seen by students and teachers at Melbourne University.

Sam and the Perfect World, 2005

The news from Washington

Magazine article by Lauretta Morton, 2006

Australia's former Cultural Attache to the USA, Ron Ramsey, describes the mood at the opening week of the revitalised American National Portrait Gallery.

Woman with Fair Hair and Pink Cardigan, 1949 by John Perceval.

The family scene

Magazine article, 2016

Traudi Allen discovers sensitivity, humour and fine draughtsmanship in the portraiture of John Perceval.

A Portrait (Kate Hattam)

Melbourne experience

Magazine article by Diana Warnes, 2007

Diana Warnes explores the lives of Hal and Katherine 'Kate' Hattam through their portraits painted by Fred Williams and Clifton Pugh.

Billy Hughes paperweight

Mugshots

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2006

A toast to the acquisition of an unconventional new portrait of former Prime Minister, Stanley Melbourne Bruce.

Practising the Minuet (Miss Hilda Spong)

An actress and her fans

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2008

Dr. Sarah Engledow discovers the amazing life of Ms. Hilda Spong, little remembered star of the stage, who was captured in a portrait by Tom Roberts.

Self portrait, 1786 by John Kay

Alternative virtue

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

Joanna Gilmour presents John Kay’s portraits of a more infamous side of Edinburgh.

Omai, Sir Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, 1775-76

First encounters

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2011

Representations of the inhabitants of the new world expose the complexities of the colonisers' intentions.

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.

The National Portrait Gallery

In the galleries

Magazine article by Dr Christopher Chapman, 2009

Christopher Chapman highlights the inaugural hang of the new National Portrait Gallery building which opened in December 2008.

Self portrait

Fine and dandy

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2010

Whether the result of misadventure or misdemeanour, many accomplished artists were transported to Australia where they ultimately left a positive mark on the history of art in this country.

Captain James Cook

Rethinking foundational histories

Magazine article by Kate Fullagar, 2019

A focus on Indigenous-European relationships underpins Facing New Worlds. By Kate Fullagar.

Nose, 2008–10 by William Kentridge

A nose by any other name

Magazine article by Jane Kinsman, 2013

In the exhibition William Kentridge: Drawn from Africa at the National Gallery of Australia, the artist marries Gogol's Tsarist Russia, with that of Stalin and the damaging history of his homeland, South Africa.

William Shakespeare, c. 1600-1610  associated with John Taylor

Take thy face hence

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2022

Joanna Gilmour travels through time to explore the National Portrait Gallery London’s masterpieces in Shakespeare to Winehouse.

Mexico from the Palace painted by ‘Maximilian Emperor'

Empirical art

About Face article

Several years ago I came across this curious painting on the racks in a distant, dusty corner of the store room in the basement of the Johannesburg Art Gallery in South Africa. Since then the mystery surrounding it has never been far from my mind. 

Studio portrait of Lord Kitchener, British Secretary of State for War, 1914 by J Russell & Sons

All the way with K of K

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2016

Sarah Engledow bristles at the biographers’ neglect of Kitchener’s antipodean intervention.

Self portrait

Rick Amor: 21 Portraits

General content

Sarah Engledow chronicles Rick Amor's work and accomplishments in this extensive essay in conjunction with the exhibition Rick Amor: 21 Portraits.

Portrait of Captain James Cook RN

Unbuttoning uniforms

Magazine article by Sharon Peoples, 2017

Sharon Peoples contemplates costumes and the construction of identity.

George and Jemima Billet with family

Costantini's convictions

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2017

Jo Gilmour uncovers endearing authenticity in the art of a twice-transported Tasmanian.

The Mutineers turning Lieut Bligh and part of the Officers and Crew adrift from His Majesty's Ship the Bounty

High & Bligh

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2008

Joanna Gilmour explores the 1790 portrait of William Bligh by Robert Dodd.

Cover, first minute book of the Tasmanian Society of Natural History

Embrace your inner nerd

About Face article

The southern winter has arrived. For people in the northern hemisphere (the majority of humanity) the idea of snow and ice, freezing mist and fog in June, potentially continuing through to August and beyond, encapsulates the topsy-turvidom of our southern continent.

Lola Montes

You beauty

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2010

Joanna Gilmour explores the fact and fictions surrounding the legendary life of Irish-born dancer Lola Montez.

Professor Peter Doherty

Friends and Acquaintances

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

Dr. Sarah Engledow discusses a collection of drawings and prints by the Victorian artist Rick Amor acquired in 2005.

Noel McKenna, 2016 by Mark Mohell

Noel McKenna

Explore The Popular Pet Show

It’s a matter beyond dispute that in the entire history of Australian art, it’s Noel McKenna who’s painted the liveliest rendition of the head of a Chihuahua.

Madame du Barry, 1791 by Richard Cosway

Little women

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2019

Joanna Gilmour looks beyond the ivory face of select portrait miniatures to reveal their sitters’ true grit.

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.

Tom Wills, c. 1870 by William Handcock

Secure the shadow ere the substance fade

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

The tragic tale of Tom Wills, the ‘inventor’ of Australian Rules Football.

Henry Lawson

Regarding Henrys

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2015

Sarah Engledow ponders the divergent legacies of Messrs Kendall and Lawson.

Cachasunghia, Osage Warrior 1804–06 by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin

Political profiles

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2016

Joanna Gilmour examines the prolific output of Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, and discovers the risk of taking a portrait at face value.

Lady Barkly

A real Pratt

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2015

The death of a gentlewoman is shrouded in mystery, a well-liked governor finds love after sorrow, and two upright men become entangled in the historical record.

Sunset in the drawing room at Chesney Wold by Hablot Knight Brown

Portraiture in a Bleak House

About Face article

It may seem an odd thing to do at one’s leisure on a beautiful tropical island, but I spent much of my midwinter break a few weeks ago re-reading Bleak House.

Christmas Island

About Face article

This is my last Trumbology before, in a little more than a week from now, I pass to my successor Karen Quinlan the precious baton of the Directorship of the National Portrait Gallery.

The Rajah quilt, 1841 by Kezia Hayter

Material culture

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2018

The Rajah Quilt’s narrative promptings are as intriguing as the textile is intricate.

George Reid paperweight

Some prime ministers

General content

Sarah Engledow explores the history of the prime ministers and artists featured in the exhibition.

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