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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.

Ludwig Becker
Ludwig Becker
Ludwig Becker

Ludwig Becker, 1861

Frederick Schoenfeld
Portrait, lithograph on paper

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

Dr Ludwig Leichhardt
Dr Ludwig Leichhardt
Dr Ludwig Leichhardt

Dr Ludwig Leichhardt, 1846

Charles Rodius
Portrait, lithograph on paper

Purchased 2004

Lowe Kong Meng
Lowe Kong Meng
Lowe Kong Meng

Lowe Kong Meng, c. 1887

Ludwig Lang after Johnstone O'Shannessy & Co
Portrait, tinted lithograph on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2015

Lola Montes

Bringing down a kingdom

Lust

The king and the showgirl

Lola Montes
Lola Montes
Lola Montes

Lola Montes, c. 1845

Joseph Karl Stieler
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased 2010

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Self portrait, 1948

Klaus Friedeberger
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Julie Friedeberger 2021

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Self portrait, c. 1849

Charles Rodius
Portrait, pastel with ink wash on paper

Purchased 2009

Eccleston Du Faur
Eccleston Du Faur
Eccleston Du Faur

Eccleston Du Faur, 1911

Violet Teague
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service 2020

Self portrait

Elegance in exile

Portrait drawings from colonial Australia
Previous exhibition, 2012

Elegance in exile is an exhibition surveying the work of Richard Read senior, Thomas Bock, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Charles Rodius: four artists who, though exiled to Australia as convicts, created many of the most significant and elegant portraits of the colonial period.

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.

Charles Summers

The importance of being bearded

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2012

Joanna Gilmour discovers that the beards of the ill-fated explorers Burke and Wills were as epic as their expedition to traverse Australia from south to north.

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.

Ursus sitting, 1931

Two pair

Magazine article by Dr Jacqui Strecker, 2008
Stuttgart's Art Museum is showing Otto Dix portraits alongside artists from Lucas Cranach to Andy Warhol.
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.

Kevin Rudd

An Australian story

Magazine article by The Hon. Dr Kevin Rudd, 2009

In his speech launching the new National Portrait Gallery building on 3 December 2008, then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd set the Gallery in a national and historical context.

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.

© 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