1 September to 14 October 2012
The Archibald Prize is one of Australia’s oldest, most prestigious art awards. JF Archibald aimed to foster portraiture, support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians. Among many controversies, these aims have certainly been fulfilled; many believe the Archibald Prize has done more than any other event to stimulate public interest in portrait painting in Australia. The prize was first awarded in 1921 and over the years some of Australia’s most prominent artists have won, including William Dobell (1943, 948, 1959) Brett Whiteley (1976, 1978) and William Robinson (1987, 1995). The subjects of Archibald winners have been equally celebrated in their fields and include ‘Banjo’ Patterson, Margaret Olley, Patrick White, Paul Keating, John Bell and David Wenham. The 2012 winner is Tim Storrier for his self portrait The histrionic wayfarer (after Bosch). The Archibald Prize is an Art Gallery of NSW exhibition toured by Museums and Galleries NSW.
Image: Tim Storrier The histrionic wayfarer (after Bosch). Image courtesy of Art Gallery of NSW.