This school holidays, remember to hop (like Peter Rabbit) into our play plot! Inspired by Beatrix Potter’s portrait in our special exhibition, Shakespeare to Winehouse.
Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.
Australian philanthropy’s highest honour, the Leading Philanthropist Award, was awarded to Tim Fairfax AC for his significant and enduring contributions to rural and regional Australia, as well as his passionate support and advocacy for organisations involved in education, arts and culture.
Sarah Engledow trains her exacting lens on the nine photographs from 20/20.
Wake from your winter hibernation to celebrate Children’s Week and Canberra’s spring season at the National Portrait Gallery’s free Spring Festival.
The National Portrait Gallery interviewed the 20/20 artists and subjects throughout the commissioning journey. Browse these Portrait Stories to get insights into the incredible achievements of the subjects and the creation of their portraits.
Tech entrepreneur Tan Le and photographer John Tsiavis.
Businesswoman Catherine Livingstone and artist Mathew Lynn.
Singer, songwriter and actress Jessica Mauboy with artist David Rosetzky.
World champion woodcutter David Foster and artist Jacqui Stockdale.
Professor Michelle Simmons and photographer Selina Ou.
The National Portrait Gallery has unveiled twenty new portrait commissions of Australian leaders and individualists as part of its twentieth birthday celebrations in a new exhibition, 20/20: Celebrating twenty years with twenty new portrait commissions.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018
Commissioned with funds provided by The Calvert-Jones Foundation 2018
Angus Trumble reflects on the force of nature that was Helena Rubinstein.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018
Basketballer Andrew Gaze and photographer George Fetting.
Photographer Nikki Toole describes the creation of her portrait of Rosie Batty.
The 2015 Australian of the Year talks about grief and searching for recognition of, and action on, domestic violence.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2018
Commissioned with funds provided by The Calvert-Jones Foundation 2018
Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister describes the trajectory of his relationship with dance.
Iconic Australian artist Ken Done discusses his life and career as a painter.
Australia's 25th Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, discusses her childhood, career paths and her portrait by Michael Zavros.
Astrophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate and Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University, Professor Brian Schmidt chats about his career.
Champion racing driver, Mark Webber, discusses his childhood and racing career.
Artist Kristin Headlam and poet Chris Wallace-Crabbe discuss their art.
Ophthalmic surgeon and former Wallabies Captain, Mark Loane, discusses his sporting and professional career.
Acclaimed Australian author, Christos Tsiolkas describes his childhood and how he came to write.
Australian photographer, Jacqueline Mitelman, discusses her process for creating portraiture.
Creator of the bionic ear, the Cochlear Implant, Professor Graeme Clark discusses his life and career.
Award-winning Australian architect, Glenn Murcutt describes the philosophy of his architectural practice and his minimalist portrait by Ken Done.
Acclaimed neurosurgeon, Charlie Teo discusses the pressures of his career.
A magnanimous portrait of Helena Rubinstein has been acquired for the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.
Australian author David Malouf discusses the creation of his portrait by artist Rick Amor.
Dave Graney and Clare Moore discuss music, photography and bandoleros of meat.
Australian champion cyclist Cadel Evans discusses his career.
Lowitja O'Donoghue discusses her life and portrait by Robert Hannaford.
Tim Flannery and artist Robert Hannaford discuss the creation of Tim's portrait.
Shane Gould, Australian champion and Olympic gold medallist talks about her passion for swimming.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2016
Alexandra Roginski explains the history behind the pseudo-science of phrenology.
An interview with Professor of Visual Neuroscience, University of Queensland, Mandyam Srinivasan.
The Chairman, Board, Director and staff mourn the loss of the National Portrait Gallery's inaugural director.
Linda Burney, Brenda Croft and Darrell Sibosado share memories of Michael Riley and his photographic practice.
Echoing 19th-century photography, Rod McNicol's portraits give us a chance to look quietly at the human condition.
Dr Charles Teo, high-profile neurosurgeon, describes how it felt to sit for the portrait by Adam Chang (Hong Jun Zhang).
The newly-established National Portrait Gallery Foundation met for its inaugural meeting last Friday 15 May in Canberra.
Twice rebelled against, and twice vindicated, William Bligh occupies an ambivalent space in Australian history. Angus Trumble, former Director of the National Portrait Gallery, explains.
Chairman Sid Myer AM, Ross Adler AC, Tim Bednall, Jillian Broadbent AC, Marilyn Darling AC, Tim Fairfax AC, Penny Fowler, John Liangis, Dr Helen Nugent AO and Nigel Satterley AM.
Gordon Darling talks about how Jiawei Shen came to paint his portrait.
Marilyn Darling talks about the creation of her portrait, and the photographic process.
Romaldo Giurgola talks about his portrait and the relationship between architecture and landscape.
David Rosetzky and Cate Blanchett talk about the creation of their video portrait.
Live, interactive learning programs coming soon wherever you are.
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.
Sarah Engledow writes about Gordon and Marilyn Darling and their support for the National Portrait Gallery throughout its evolution.
Artist Nicholas Harding talks about what was captured in his portrait of Robert Drewe.
Artist Nicholas Harding talks about how he became interested in portraiture, and his motivation in painting Hugo Weaving.
Iconic Australian fashion designer, Akira Isogawa discusses the development of his unique style.
Purchased with funds provided by Marilyn Darling AC, Tim Fairfax AC and the Sid and Fiona Myer Family Foundation 2015
Kate Grenville reads a passage from her novel The secret river and describes its creation.
Australian writer Kate Grenville discusses her career and portrait by Jenny Sages.
Betty Churcher describes the creation of the portrait of Captain James Cook in the National Portrait Gallery.
Betty Churcher discusses her career as the Director of the National Gallery of Australia.
Professor Penny Sackett, Australian National University and former Chief Scientist for Australia (2008-2011) talks about her life in science.
Professor Penny Sackett and artist Andrew Mezei describe the process behind making the portrait.
A selection of audiovisual stories about the artists and subjects in the National Portrait Gallery's collection.
Australian surfing legend Mark Richards describes his professional surfing and surfboard shaping careers.
Regarded as one of the greatest surfers of all time, Tom Carroll describes his career.
How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be
Artist Andrew Mezei talks about his art practice and the process behind his portrait of Professor Penny Sackett.
Purchased with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AM 2013
Dr Christopher Chapman NPG Curator of Inner Worlds explains the development of an exhibition that spans from Surrealism to contemporary art.
Legendary Australian composer, Peter Sculthorpe, describes the development of his career.
An interview with Professor Frank Fenner who describes his life and the creation of his portrait.
Australian artist, Nora Heysen, discusses her childhood and the development of her career.
The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG interviews the artist who painted his portrait, Ralph Heimans.
Professor Marcia Langton, artist Brook Andrew and printer Trent Walter discuss the creation of Marcia's portrait.
Artist Rick Amor and author Shane Maloney relate divergent experiences of the creation of Shane's portrait.
Professor David Chalmers explains his interest in philosophy and introduces some of his theories on the conscious mind.
Bob Brown discusses the events that occurred during the Franklin River campaign as depicted in his portrait by Harold 'The Kangaroo' Thornton.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2012
Portraits of philanthropists in the collection honour their contributions to Australia and acknowledge their support of the National Portrait Gallery.
The Australian of the Year Awards have often provoked controversy about who is selected and whether their achievements are remarkable.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2010
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2010
To celebrate Peter Sculthorpe's 80th birthday, the National Portrait Gallery has created a feature exhibition of portraits and associated biographic material drawn from the National Portrait Gallery and the composer’s personal collection.
Open Air is an exhibition of portraits of Australians in environments of particular significance to them.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2008
Purchased with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2008
Drawn from some of the many donations made to the Gallery's collection, the exhibition Portraits for Posterity pays homage both to the remarkable (and varied) group of Australians who are portrayed in the portraits and the generosity of the many donors who have presented them to the Gallery.
The exhibition Portraits for Posterity celebrates gifts to the Gallery, of purchases made with donated funds, and testifies to the generosity and community spirit of Australians.
Commissioned with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2006
During his long and distinguished career Max Dupain took thousands of photographs of people
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Tim Fairfax AC 2003
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
This is the first major exhibition to examine photographic portraiture in Australia, from its beginnings in the early 1840s to the present day
Tim Fairfax AC (b.1946), company director, grazier and philanthropist, is a founding benefactor of the National Portrait Gallery and a former chair of its board of directors.
1 portrait in the collection
