The Hon E.G. Whitlam
| The Hon E.G. Whitlam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Clifton Pugh |
| Year | 1972 |
| Medium | oil on composition board |
| Dimensions | 113.5 cm × 141.5 cm (44.7 in × 55.7 in) |
| Location | Parliament House,Canberra |
The Hon E.G. Whitlamis a1972portraitpainting by Australian artistClifton Pugh.The painting depictsGough Whitlam,21stPrime Minister of Australia.The painting was awarded the 1972Archibald Prize.[1]Pugh had won the same prize the year before for a portrait of Australia's 18th Prime MinisterJohn McEwen.[2]
Art criticSasha Grishindescribes the painting as "outstanding for its vibrancy, expressive characterisation and energetic brushwork."[3]
Pugh was sometimes described by contemporaries as "the court painter to the [Australian] Labor Party (ALP)."[4]Pugh started the work before Whitlam was elected the ALP Prime Minister in 1972. He told journalistLaurie Oakesthat Whitlam "keeps a cover on himself and seldom relaxes. I’m having a hard job to decide just how to paint him, to decide what sort of man he really is."[5]
In the end, after a dozen false starts, [Pugh] decided Whitlam was strong and confident, though with an eye more on a place in history than on the present, and painted him that way
AfterWhitlam's dismissal from officeby theGovernor-General,Whitlam refused to sit for an official portrait to sit inParliament House[citation needed]and requested that Pugh's portrait be hung instead. This offer was accepted and the portrait remains part of the Parliament House collection.[6]
References[edit]
- ^"The Hon EG Whitlam".Archibald Prize.Art Gallery of New South Wales.Retrieved28 August2020.
- ^"Sir John McEwen".Archibald Prize.Art Gallery of New South Wales.Retrieved31 August2020.
- ^Grishin, Sasha (29 October 2018)."How (not) to paint a prime minister".Grishin's Art Blog (GAB).Retrieved28 August2020.
- ^"Portraits of a more relaxed time for those on the hill".Sydney Morning Herald.9 December 2005.Retrieved28 August2020.
- ^abOakes, Laurie (24 October 2014)."Gough Whitlam: Portrait of a risk taker".Daily Telegraph.Retrieved28 August2020.
- ^"Historic Memorials Collection".Parliament House.Retrieved28 August2020.
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