THE ARCHIBALD PRIZE

REJECTION SELECTION REWARD

IN THE BEGINNING….• Jules Francois Archibald• b. 1865 d.1919• Founding Editor of

Melbourne’s Bulletin newspaper

• Left considerable wealth- £90,000

• This paid for : Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park,

a journalists benevolent fund and 10% to annual portrait prize..initially £400

THE RULES• The subject was to be a man or woman

distinguished in the arts, letters, science or politics.

• It is a non-acquisitive annual art prize• Portraits should be as far as practicable

painted from life and may be of any size.• No direct copies from photographs are be

considered eligible. • 2003 A size limitation was introduced,

90,000cm2

Early Winners• W.B. McInnes“Portrait of a lady” 1923£501This work was criticised

as her identity was not revealed.

She is “a nobody” it was claimed.

McInnes won the prize FIVE times.

William Dargie

• Was digging on war service trenches in Tobruk when he was notified of his win with this portrait.

• His wife had put the portrait into the prize in his absence signing papers herself.

William Dargie“Mr Albert Namatjira”

1956“Albert had the most

wonderful face for a portrait I’ve ever seen..he had a tremendous inner dignity..like the tranquillity of antique statues..”

ControversyWilliam Dobell

“Portrait of Joshua Smith” 1943 £429

First of three wins for DobellSmith a fellow artist and

friend of Dobell both were war camouflage artists.

Public outcry resulted in a lengthy courtcase

Prize was upheld at cost of both men’s health & wellbeing

It changed the way Australia saw art

Portraiture or Caricature?

The Postwar YearsWilliam Dobell

“Margaret Olley” 1948Sydney art scene a tight

group at this time.Olley, an artist and friend

of Dobells, attended an exhibition in a bizarre dress made from an old parachute and a wedding dress.

She sat for him after that wild night out..this was the result.

It was delivered wet ! £500

Politics

Clifton Pugh 1972 “The Hon E.G. Whitlam”..the then new Prime Minister. ($2500)“my place in the history of art and yours in the history of politics

are now secure” Gough Whitlam to Pugh.

One of quite a few images of PM over the years

More Controversy• John Bloomfield• Awarded prize for “Tim

Burstall” 1975 ( then $3170)

• Admitted he had never met him.

• Found to have painted image from Cleo mag. Image

• Stripped of prize in Feb ‘76• Gallery paid $500 for it.• He attempted to sue for

Redefining Portraits Brett Whiteley

‘Life, Art and the Other Thing” 1975

$3170This work stretched

understandings of likeness and realism, challenging ideas on portraiture.

Varying StylesNigel Thompson

“Chandler Conventry”1983. $10,000

• A gallery owner• Super realist style• Powerful use of

space• Photographic in

character

Keith Looby“Max Gillies” 1984

TV satirist/ comicFamous for send ups of

PM HawkePolitical in that Hawke

didn’t like Gillies muchHighly decorative almost

comical style.Stylised treatment of

figures.

Guy Warren“Flugelman with Wingman”

1985 $10,000• 1st time winner but

established portraitist $2,10 and $20 notes.

• Dared by Bert Flugelman friend and sculptor to paint each other for the Prize.

• Against one of his own paintings as a backdrop

• Wings become Berts• Portrait and landscape

Davida Allen“Dr John Arthur McKelvey Shera” 1986 $20,000

Outrageously unconventional.

Very painterly , expressive and bold.

Vladas Meskenas ‘Rene Rivkin” 1988Rivkin promised to buy it but backed out after Capon said Yuk!

Rivkin jailed 03 for insider trading then suicided 05.

William Robinson“Self Portrait with

Stunned Mullet” 1995

Plays on Australian vernacular.

References 18thC Hogarth Girl and the Shrimp

Has element of humour

• Nigel Thompson “Barbara Blackman” 1997• Blind writer and ex wife of artist Charles Blackman• Very symbolic, powerful.• “Blindness is a shortcut to humility, exile and otherness”

Lewis Miller“Allan Mittleman” 1998

Third attempt at Prize with images of this man.

Looming presence and dimensions

Unconventional media Oil and Charcoal on canvas

Euan McleodSelf Portrait

“Head like a hole” 1999

A ‘risky’ choice by judges

• Unorthodox representation a shark threatened portrait

• Dark, anxious frightening

Adam Cullen“Portrait of David

Wenham”2000

$35,000Spontaneous, livelyUsed Dulux house

paintHints at a deranged

character played by Wenham

Craig RuddyDavid Gulpilil

2004• Haunting

powerful image

• Charcoal on Wallpaper sections

• Built up linear style

Del Katherine Barton“You are what is most

Beautiful about me”2008

Subject is self and own children

Very detailed, decorative style

Paint and penHas a textile like quality