Portraiture

Designed to engage audiences with portraiture, this online education kit includes Create, Engage, Investigate and Reflect activities and ideas responding to portraits in the collection for Primary and Secondary students.

CREATE: Art-making activities to build confidence in exploring Portraiture

ENGAGE: Talking, debating and discussing artworks and ideas

INVESTIGATE: Researching and developing viewpoints about art and artists

REFLECT: Thinking and responding to art and art-making

Artworks in each section are starting points to inspire art-making and discussion on portraiture.

This kit can be used in conjunction with any exhibition or study of portraiture and is particularly relevant to the Gallery’s annual Archibald Prize.

What is a portrait? Look up the definition of the word ‘portrait’. Are portraits still regarded as an important subject in art?

Take a selfie with a phone. Compare your photo to a portrait painting. What is similar? What is different?

What portraits do you like and why?

How have artistic styles and approaches to portraiture changed over time?

Can you see diversity represented in the Archibald Prize finalists over the past 100 years?

Look at the current Archibald Prize. Reflect on the changing face of our nation. Can you see yourself reflected in the portraits?