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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.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

Ralph Heimans

Portraiture. Power. Influence.
Current exhibition

The exhibition will feature some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date, from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent.

Luis and Finn - two scruffy buddies, 2015 by Ralph Whitten

Luis and Finn - two scruffy buddies, 2015

by Ralph Whitten
Image
The Architecture of Music (Vladimir Ashkenazy)

Observation point

Magazine article by Ralph Heimans AM, 2018

As I prepared for my recent retrospective at Frederiksborg Castle, Denmark’s National Portrait Gallery, I was struck with the feeling of looking back at a visual diary of the past 30 years.

The Reverend Ralph Sutton
The Reverend Ralph Sutton
The Reverend Ralph Sutton

The Reverend Ralph Sutton, 1935

Max Dupain OBE
Portrait, gelatin silver photograph on card

Gift of Reverend Ralph Sutton's daughters Arlene Howes and Megan Newman in memory of Ralph Sutton and in tribute to his wife Dorothy Sutton 2011

Gloves off (Tom Uren)
Gloves off (Tom Uren)
Gloves off (Tom Uren)

Gloves off (Tom Uren), 1996

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001

The Architecture of Music (Vladimir Ashkenazy)
The Architecture of Music (Vladimir Ashkenazy)
The Architecture of Music (Vladimir Ashkenazy)

The Architecture of Music (Vladimir Ashkenazy), 2011

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, oil on canvas

Gift of Michael Crouch AC and Shanny Crouch 2017

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil, watercolour and ink on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby" recto 'Head Study' and verso 'Hand Study', 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil, watercolour and ink on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil, watercolour, gouache and ink on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

Portrait of Professor Derek Freeman
Portrait of Professor Derek Freeman
Portrait of Professor Derek Freeman

Portrait of Professor Derek Freeman, 1996

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and pastel on paper

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

image not online

Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil, watercolour, gouache and ink on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

image not online

Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

Olegas Truchanas
Olegas Truchanas
Olegas Truchanas

Olegas Truchanas, 1971

Ralph Hope-Johnstone
Portrait, type C photograph on paper

Purchased 2005

Charles Haddon Chambers
Charles Haddon Chambers
Charles Haddon Chambers

Charles Haddon Chambers, 1921

Ralph Barton
Portrait, ink and watercolour on cardboard

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2010

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Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil and crayon on paper

Gift of the artist 2001

image not online

Study "Radical Restraint: A Portrait of Michael Kirby", 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2001

The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG

'Radical Restraint'
Portrait story

The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG interviews the artist who painted his portrait, Ralph Heimans.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Ralph Heimans AM
Image
The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2012

Imagination

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2013

Dr Sarah Engledow tells the story of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee portrait by Australian artist Ralph Heimans.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006

The painter and the princess

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2006

Michael Desmond interviews Ralph Heimans about his portrait of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

Radical Restraint 
Justice Michael Kirby
Radical Restraint 
Justice Michael Kirby
Radical Restraint 
Justice Michael Kirby

Radical Restraint
Justice Michael Kirby, 1998

Ralph Heimans AM
Portrait, oil on canvas

Purchased with funds provided by the Basil Bressler Bequest 2001

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

Dane reign

Magazine article by Mette Skougaard and Thomas Lyngby, 2018

Mette Skougaard and Thomas Lyngby bring eloquent context to Ralph Heimans’ portraits of Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales
General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales
General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales

General Ralph Darling, Governor of New South Wales, c. 1840

John R. Jackson after John Linnell
Portrait, mezzotint on paper

Purchased 2018

The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, 2014 Ralph Heimans AM

Portraits of Power: Ralph Heimans tour

Event, Daily until Monday 27 May

Join our professional guides on this 45-minute deep dive into the work of Ralph Heimans, one of Australia’s preeminent portraitists.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

Announcing... Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence.

30 November 2023
Media

In March 2024, the National Portrait Gallery will launch a major exhibition of the work of Ralph Heimans AM, the Australian artist who’s painted some of the world’s most recognisable people.

Selfie Factory, 2017 by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz

Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz win Digital Portraiture Award with Selfie Factory

1 December 2017
Archived media releases 2017

The National Portrait Gallery is pleased to announce Mr Ralph Kenke and Mr Elmar Trefz are the winners of the Digital Portraiture Award 2017 for their submission Selfie Factory.

Tomáš Kantor in Bell Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, 2023

A Performance of Portraiture

Ralph Heimans tour
Event, Starts Thursday 16 May
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Professor Ralph Blacket, 1994

John Caldwell
Portrait, mixed media on archival mount board

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the artist 2017

Selfie Factory, 2017 by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz, video: 3 minutes

Selfie Factory, 2017

by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz
General content

Winner, DPA 2017
Mixed media installation

Selfie Factory, 2017 by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz, video: 3 minutes

Digital Portraiture Award 2017

Previous exhibition, 2017

An annual event to extend traditional notions of portraiture and foster emerging artists with an interest in new technology.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2006 Ralph Heimans AM

Audio described exhibition portraits

Audio description

Audio descriptions for selected portraits from the exhibition Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence.

Portrait 60

Spring 2018
Magazine

Ralph Heimans on his portraits, and features on Louis Kahan, Helena Rubinstein, Judy Cassab and Tasmanian convicts.

HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, 2018 Ralph Heimans AM

Powerful Portraits: Queen Elizabeth I of England to Queen Mary of Denmark

Event, Sunday 28 April

In association with the exhibition, Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence. Associate Professor, Robert Wellington discusses the enduring connection of status with painted portraits.

The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2012 by Ralph Heimans

Glorious

A Diamond Jubilee portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Previous exhibition, 2012

Glorious: A Diamond Jubilee portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a collection-based display representing The Queen in the early and late years of her glittering sixty-year reign.

Her Majesty Mrs Brown

Her Majesty Mrs Brown

Event, Sunday 12 May

Join us this Mother’s Day for a screening of Her Majesty Mrs Brown featuring Judi Dench and Billy Connolly.

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Self portrait at 85, 1990

Joshua Smith
Portrait, oil on primed masonite

Gift of the late May Ralph 2019

Portrait of Dr John Bradfield
Portrait of Dr John Bradfield
Portrait of Dr John Bradfield

Portrait of Dr John Bradfield, c. 1920-1924

Reginald Jerrold-Nathan
Portrait, oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of the family of Dr J J C Bradfield 2006
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program

The Payne family
The Payne family
The Payne family

The Payne family, 1888-1889

A Flegeltaub
Portrait, albumen photograph on cabinet card

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of John McPhee 2018

Margel and Tarquin, Canberra
Margel and Tarquin, Canberra
Margel and Tarquin, Canberra

Margel and Tarquin, Canberra, c. 1945

Frank Hinder
Portrait, pen and ink, brush and ink and pencil on paper

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by the Ross family in memory of Noel and Enid Eliot 2014

Portrait of Mrs Tom Roberts

2013-14 Acquisition Fund

Annual Appeal

This 1910 portrait of Elizabeth Sarah (Lillie) Roberts by Tom Roberts was brought into the Gallery's collection with the assistance of the Acquisition Fund in 2013.

Heath Ledger, Prague
Heath Ledger, Prague
Heath Ledger, Prague

Heath Ledger, Prague, 2000 (printed 2009)

Bruce Weber
Portrait, inkjet print on paper

Purchased with the assistance of Alan Dodge AM 2009

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.

Selfie Factory, 2017 by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz, video: 3 minutes

Finalists Announced for Digitial Portraiture Award 2017

23 October 2017
Archived media releases 2017

The National Portrait Gallery is thrilled to announce nine finalists have been selected from the national call for entries for the Digital Portraiture Award 2017.

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Self portrait, 1949

Frank Hinder
Portrait, pencil on paper

Gift of an anonymous donor 2007

Mick Molloy

A serious man

Magazine article by Alistair McGhie, 2010

Alistair McGhie discusses Andrew MacColl's portrait photograph of Australian comedian Mick Molloy.

Radical Restraint 
Justice Michael Kirby

Judicial portraits

Magazine article by Leslie Moran, 2007

Leslie Moran investigates the portraits of judges in the National Portrait Gallery's collection.

Ellen Stirling

Very fine and very like

About Face article

When did notions of very fine and very like become separate qualities of a portrait? And what happens to 'very like' in the age of photographic portraiture?

General Cosgrove, Dili, East Timor 1999

On active service

Magazine article by Sam Bowker, 2007

The National Portrait Gallery has acquired an evocative depiction of soldier Peter Cosgrove by the Victorian-based painter, printmaker and sculptor Rick Amor.

Elle Macpherson

Australian visit in Denmark

Magazine article by Mette Skougaard, 2006

In April 2006 the National Portrait Gallery showcased Australian portraits at the Fredenksborg Castle in Denmark. 

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.

Andrew Sayers AM

Past directors

History

Directors of the National Portrait Gallery from 1998 to today.

Olegas Truchanas

Giving a dam

True south #1
About Face article

Ensconced and meditative in crisp Tasmania, Joanna Gilmour pays tribute to passionate green advocate and photographer Olegas Truchanas.

Portrait of Professor Derek Freeman

Paper weight

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2022

Joanna Gilmour delves into a collection display that celebrates the immediacy and potency of drawing as an art form in its own right.

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Portrait Donors

Listed by year
Honour board
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.

Charles Haddon Chambers

Suave

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2010

Charles Haddon Chambers the Australian-born playboy playwright settled permanently in London in 1880 but never lost his Australian stance when satirising the English.

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.”

Ellen Stirling

Duty bound

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2009

Joanna Gilmour explores the life of colonial women Lady Ellen Stirling, Eliza Darling, Lady Eliza Arthur, Elizabeth Macquarie and Lady Jane Franklin.

Rock Island Bend. Franklin River, South West Tasmania, 1979 by Peter Dombrovskis

Written in Water

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2005

Olegas Truchanas and Peter Dombrovskis, photographers and conservationists, shared a love of photography and exploring wilderness areas of Tasmania.

A surface against which we can move, 2014 by Sam Leach

No small wonder

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2015

Joanna Gilmour describes how artist Sam Leach works on a small scale to grand effect.

The Cutmear sisters, Jane and Lucy, c. 1842

A man of superior attainments

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2013

Joanna Gilmour explores the life of a colonial portrait artist, writer and rogue Thomas Griffiths Wainewright.

Sydney city (Patrick White and Tom Uren, Hiroshima Day demonstration), 1984

The activist A-list

Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2007

Dr Sarah Engledow examines a number of figures in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery who were pioneers or substantial supporters of the seminal Australian environmental campaigns of the early 1970s and 1980s.

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.

Waterfall in Australia, c. 1830 by Augustus Earle

Augustus serendipitous

Magazine article by Joanna Gilmour, 2016

The London-born son of an American painter, Augustus Earle ended up in Australia by accident in January 1825. 

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.

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.

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

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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 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.

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