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At 99 years old, the Archibald Prize is still breaking records

At 99 years old, the Archibald Prize is still breaking records

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24-09-2020
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With 99 storied years under its belt, the Archibald has presumably endured its share of disturbances in some shape or form since its inception in 1921. So, while this year’s pandemic climate may have reframed the timing of the program, true to form, it certainly hasn’t hindered the excellence of works entered.

Nor has it stood as a roadblock.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales, home of “Australia’s favourite portrait prize”, has revealed that the 2020 Archibald program received a record-breaking 1068 works for consideration.

Winner of 2020 Archibald Prize, Vincent Namatjira for his portrait of Adam Goodes.
Artist: Vincent Namatjira
Sitter: Adam Goodes
Title: Stand strong for who you are
Winner: 2020 Archibald Prize

The Archibald has, at times, come face-to-face with a torrent of controversy, largely outweighed by an overarching air of prestige, positioning it as one of Australia’s most prominent art awards programs.

Then there’s the cachet.

And the cash.

The winner of the Archibald, announced at midday on September 25, receives a monetary prize of $100,000 amid the grandeur of the crown.

Of the 1068 submissions, 55 works have progressed to the exhibition of finalists, a selection of which are shown below.

All of the Archibald Prize finalists will be exhibited alongside the shortlisted works in the Wynne and Sulman prizes at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from September 26 until January 10, 2021. The exhibition will then embark on a regional tour for the following 12 months.

artgallery.nsw.gov.au

This year’s pandemic climate may have reframed the timing of the program, but it certainly hasn’t hindered the excellence of works entered.

Daily Architecture News
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Meyne Wyatt
Sitter: Meyne Wyatt
Title: Meyne
Winner: Packing Room Prize 2020
Artist: Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran
Sitter: Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran
Title: Self-portrait with outstretched arms
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: William Mackinnon
Siter: Sunshine Bertrand
Title: Sunshine and Lucky (life)
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Yuri Shimmyo
Sitter: Yuri Shimmyo
Title: Carnation, lily, Yuri, rose
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Jennifer Scott
Sitter: Dr Raymond Rauscher
Title: Dr Raymond Charles Rauscher
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Charlene Carrington
Sitter: Churchill Cann
Title: My dad, Churchill Cann
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Angus McDonald
Sitter: Behrouz Boochani
Title: Behrouz Boochani
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Lucy Culliton
Sitter: Charlie Maslin
Title: Soils for life
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Yoshio Honjo
Sitter: Adam Liaw
Title: Adam with bream
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Wendy Sharpe
Sitter: Magda Szubanski
Title: Magda Szubanski – comedy and tragedy
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Kaylene Whiskey
Sitter: Kaylene Whiskey
Title: Dolly visits Indulkana
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Edward Humphrey
Sitter: Stan Walker
Title: Stan Walker
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Abdul Abdullah
Sitter: Abdul Abdullah
Title: Untitled self-portrait
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Marc Etherington
Sitter: Michael Reid
Title: Sleeping beauty (portrait of Michael Reid OAM)
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Jane Guthleben
Sitter: Annabel Crabb
Title: Annabel, the baker
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Artist: Nick Stathopoulos
Sitter: Ngaire Laun Joseph Title
Title: Ngaiire
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Paul Newton
Sitter: Maggie Tabberer AM
Title: Maggie Tabberer 2020
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Claus Stangl
Sitter: L-FRESH The LION
Title: L-FRESH The LION
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Kim Leutwyler
Sitter: Brian Firkus
Title: Brian with pink, blue and yellow
Artwork entered in the Archibald Prize 2020, Art Gallery of New South Wales

Artist: Karen Black
Sitter: Madonna Staunton
Title: Madonna

About the Archibald Prize

The Archibald Prize was established from a bequest by Jules Francois Archibald, the founding editor of The Bulletin magazine.

Archibald was a passionate supporter of a distinctly Australian style of nationalism, journalism and the arts. In establishing the prize his aim was to foster portraiture as well as support artists and perpetuate the memory of great Australians. JF Archibald died in 1919 at St Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, with the first Archibald Prize being staged two years after his death.

According to Archibald’s will – held in the Art Gallery of New South Wales archive – the Archibald Prize is to be awarded annually to the best portrait ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’.

Portraits must have been painted in the previous year from at least one live sitting with the artist.

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