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11 unusual facts about Archibald Prize


Anne Judell

Cress went on to be a successful artist, though the couple separated prior to Cress's highest achievement, winning the 1988 Archibald Prize.

Barry Otto

Otto is also a keen amateur artist, often painting members of his family, and has twice entered the Archibald Prize.

Brandon Walters

Artist Vincent Fantauzzo's portrait of Walters was a finalist for the 2009 Archibald Prize, ultimately winning the People's Choice Award.

Brian Penton

William Dobell won the 1943 Archibald Prize (awarded January 1944) with his 'caricature' portrait of Joshua Smith (artist).

Coolac, New South Wales

The satirical Bald Archy art competition (named from the more prestigious Archibald Prize) began in Coolac at the Coolac Festival of Fun, launched by Peter Batey.

David Combe

The portrait was an unsuccessful entry in the Archibald Prize of 1983, and conspiracy theories on this matter abound.

Greg Bridges

He also earned the Packers' Prize award for his participation in the Archibald Prize Competition, along with the International Communication Arts Award and the Worldcon's Best Colour Professional Work Award.

Hugh Wrigley

A portrait painted by W. H. Parry of Wrigley was submitted for the 1944 Archibald prize.

J. F. Archibald

In his will, he made the two bequests by which he is best remembered by the general public: funds for the Archibald Fountain in Sydney's Hyde Park, which he specified must be designed by a French sculptor, and the Archibald Prize for portraiture, now Australia's most prestigious art prize.

Luke Cornish

In 2012, Cornish became the first stencil artist to become a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize, the largest portrait award in Australia.

Maggie Tabberer

A portrait of her by Paul William Newton was hung in the 1999 Archibald Prize.


Colleen McCullough

In 1984 a portrait of Colleen McCullough, painted by Wesley Walters, was a finalist in the Archibald Prize.

Garfield Barwick

He first came to public prominence in the 1943 case over the artistic merits of William Dobell's Archibald Prize-winning portrait of the painter Joshua Smith; a losing entrant claimed the picture was caricature, not portraiture.

Guy Maestri

Guy Maestri (born in Mudgee, New South Wales in 1974) is an Australian contemporary artist who won the 2009 Archibald Prize for a portrait of Australian singer and musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

Jan Williamson

She is known for winning the Archibald Prize Packing Room Prize twice in a row: in 2002 with a portrait of Jenny Morris—which also won the People's Choice Award—and again in 2003 with a portrait of actor Rachel Ward.

Jana Wendt

In 2004, a painting of Wendt by artist Evert Ploeg won the Packing Room Prize at the Archibald Prize.

Marcus Wills

He was the winner of the 2006 Archibald Prize for his painting of The Paul Juraszek Monolith, which was based on an engraving by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder.