View source for Archibald Prize

{{short description|Australian portraiture prize}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox award
| name             = Archibald Prize
| subheader        = 
| image            = W B McInnes - H. Desbrowe Annear (1921).jpg
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = ''[[Harold Desbrowe-Annear|Desbrowe Annear]]'' by [[William Beckwith McInnes|W B McInnes]], the first Archibald Prize winner (1921)
| awarded_for      = 
| sponsor          = [[Art Gallery of New South Wales|Art Gallery of NSW]]
| year             = 1921 ''(Desbrowe Annear)''
| location         = [[New South Wales]]
| country          = Australia
| presenter        = 
| reward           = [[Australian dollar|AU$]]100,000
| holder           = [[Julie Fragar]] for ''[[Justene Williams|Flagship Mother Multiverse (Justene)]]'', 2025
| most_awards      = [[William Dargie|Sir William Dargie]] (8)
| website          = <!-- {{URL|www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/}} -->
| image2           = Edmund Herring by William Dargie.jpg
| image2size       = 
| alt2             = 
| caption2         = ''[[Lieutenant general (Australia)|Lt-General]] The Hon [[Edmund Herring|Edmund Francis Herring]], {{post-nominals|size=100%|country=AUS|sep=|KBC,|DSO,|MC,|ED}}'' by Sir William Dargie (1945)
| previous         = 
| main             = 
| next             = 
}}
The '''Archibald Prize''' is an Australian [[portrait]]ure art prize for [[painting]], generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia.<ref name="Guardian2020" /> It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from [[J. F. Archibald|J.&nbsp;F.&nbsp;Archibald]], the editor of ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'' who died in 1919. It is administered by the trustees of the [[Art Gallery of New South Wales]]<ref>[https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/history/chronology-events/ Archibald Prize - Chronology of events], [[Art Gallery of New South Wales]]</ref> and awarded for "the best portrait, preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in Art, Letters, Science or Politics, painted by an artist resident in Australia during the twelve months preceding the date fixed by the trustees for sending in the pictures". The Archibald Prize has been awarded annually since 1921 (with two exceptions<ref>No Archibald Prize was awarded in 1964 or 1980; refer to [[List of Archibald Prize winners]] and the references cited there for details.</ref>) and since July 2015 the prize has been [[Australian dollar|AU$]]100,000.<ref name=Ong>{{cite news |last1=Ong |first1=Thuy |title= Archibald Prize 2015: Newcastle artist Nigel Milsom wins prestigious award for Charles Waterstreet portrait |url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-17/nigel-milsom-wins-archibald-prize-with-waterstreet-portrait/6627264 |access-date=5 August 2015 |work=ABC News |date=17 July 2015}}</ref>

== Winners==
{{Further|List of Archibald Prize winners}}

===Prize money===
*1921 – £400
*1941 – £443 / 13 / 4<ref>[http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Dargie_sirjameselder.htm Sir James Elder by Sir William Dargie], The Artists, www.artistsfootsteps.com</ref>
*1942 – £441 / 11 / 11<ref>[http://www.artistsfootsteps.com/html/Dargie_JimGordon.htm Cpl Jim Gordon VC by Sir William Dargie], The Artists, www.artistsfootsteps.com</ref>
*1951 – £500<ref>{{cite web|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18491277|title=They Didn't Win – Five Paintings from the Archibald Prize Exhibition|date=27 January 1952|work=The Sunday Herald (Sydney)|publisher=[[Trove]], [[National Library of Australia]]}}</ref>
*1970 – $2,000
*1971 – $4,000<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicklin |first=Lenore |date=23 January 1971 |title=From the archives: 1971 Archibald winner waited 25 years |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/from-the-archives-1971-archibald-winner-waited-25-years-20210107-p56sd5.html |access-date=5 June 2023 |website=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref>
*2006 – $35,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/surreal-portrait-wins-archibald/2006/03/24/1143083960340.html|title=Portrait of the artist as a holed man wins the day|date=25 March 2006|author=Sunanda Creagh|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref>
*2008 – $50,000
*2013 – $60,000
*2012 – $75,000<ref name=2012prize>{{cite web|title=Increase in prize money for 2012 Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prizes|date=13 September 2011|publisher=The Art Gallery of New South Wales|url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/media-office/increase-prize-money/}}</ref>
*2015 – $100,000<ref name=Ong />

== Additional prizes==
Since 1988 two other prizes have been added to the Archibald prize event. 

===People's Choice Award===
The '''People's Choice Award''', in which votes from the public viewing the finalists are collected to find a winner was first awarded in 1988. The award comes with a monetary prize of A$3,500.<ref name=kgbo/> The inaugural People's Choice Award prize was won by [[Fred Cress]] with his portrait of fellow artist John Beard, which had won the Archibald Prize.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/in-the-herald--december-17-1988-20151209-glj4i3.html#:~:text=Although%20artist%20Fred%20Cress'%20%22stark,that%20Cress%20won%20the%20%22double%22|title = In the Herald : December 17, 1988|date = 16 December 2015}}</ref> This was the first 'double' win until [[Craig Ruddy]] won both awards with his portrait of David Gulpilil ([https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2004/27945/ David Gulpilil, Two Worlds]) in 2001.

===Packing Room Prize {{anchor|Packing Room Prize}} ===
In 1992 the '''Packing Room Prize''' was established, in which the staff who receive the portraits and install them in the gallery vote for their choice of winner. The prize-winner is not always an Archibald finalist.  Head packer Brett Cuthbertson receives 52% of the vote between packers for the prize.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2017-07-07|title=Archibald Prize head packer gets own portrait|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-08/archibald-prize-packer-gets-portrait/8689036|access-date=2021-05-27|newspaper=ABC News|language=en-AU}}</ref> The Packing Room Prize is awarded annually and since June 2014, the prize has been A$1,500.<ref name="kgbo">{{cite web |url =https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/enter/ |title= Enter the Archibald Prize 2014 |publisher =Art Gallery of NSW |access-date= 23 June 2014}}</ref>

To date there has never been an Archibald Prize winner who has also been a Packing Room Prize winner. (In fact, a number of Packing Room Prize winners have not been Archibald Prize finalists). For this reason winning the Packing Room Prize is known as "the kiss of death award".<ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/archibald-prize-2015-firsttime-finalists-bring-new-life-to-the-contest-20150713-giaw9d.html |title = Archibald Prize 2015: first-time finalists bring new life to the contest |last = McDonald |first = John |date = 17 July 2015|work = The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date = 5 August 2015}}</ref> (However, there were two People's Choice Awards given to Archibald Prize winners in 1988 and 2004.)

There has twice been a matching Packing Room Prize and People's Choice Award winner – although neither won the main prize – to [[Paul Newton (artist)|Paul Newton]]'s portrait of [[Roy and HG|Roy Slaven and HG Nelson]] in 2001, and to [[Jan Williamson]]'s portrait of singer/songwriter [[Jenny Morris (musician)|Jenny Morris]] in 2002.

[[Danelle Bergstrom]] has won the Packing Room Prize twice, first in 1995 with a portrait of singer/songwriter [[Jon English]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/1995/27836/|title=Archibald Prize Archibald 1995 finalist: Jon English [not selected as an Archibald Prize finalist, but awarded Packing Room Prize] by Danelle Bergstrom|first10=Keep me|last10=updated|first11=Getting|last11=here|last12=Floorplan|first13=Art After|last13=Hours|last14=Blog|last15=Prizes|first16=Inside|last16=ARTEXPRESS|first17=Google Art|last17=Project|first18=Sydney Modern|last18=Project|last19=Accessibility|last20=Disclaimer|last21=Privacy|first22=Links|last22=policy|first23=N. S. W.|last23=Government|first24=Copyright|last24=policy|last25=Feedback|website=www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au}}</ref> and again in 2007 with a portrait of actor [[Jack Thompson (actor)|Jack Thompson]], with the work entitled Take Two.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/2007/28455/|title=Archibald Prize Archibald 2007 finalist: Take two - Jack Thompson by Danelle Bergstrom|first10=Keep me|last10=updated|first11=Getting|last11=here|last12=Floorplan|first13=Art After|last13=Hours|last14=Blog|last15=Prizes|first16=Inside|last16=ARTEXPRESS|first17=Google Art|last17=Project|first18=Sydney Modern|last18=Project|last19=Accessibility|last20=Disclaimer|last21=Privacy|first22=Links|last22=policy|first23=N. S. W.|last23=Government|first24=Copyright|last24=policy|last25=Feedback|website=www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au}}</ref>

In 2020 [[Meyne Wyatt]] became the first Indigenous artist to win the Packing Room Prize.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Galvin|first=Nick|date=2020-09-17|title=Listen to mum: Meyne Wyatt makes history with Packing Room Prize win|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/and-the-packing-room-prize-winner-is-20200916-p55wcw.html|access-date=2020-09-17|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref>

==Related distinctions==
===Archibald finalists===
*[[Lists of Archibald Prize finalists]]
*[[:Category:Archibald Prize finalists]]

===Salon des Refusés===
Since 1992, a selection of entrants not included amongst the finalists has been included in the [[Salon des Refusés (Archibald)|Salon des Refusés]]. 

====Salon des Refusés People's Choice Award====
Since 1999, Sydney based law firm Holding Redlich have sponsored a [[Salon des Refusés (Archibald)#Past winners of the Salon des Refusés People's Choice Award|Salon des Refusés People's Choice Award]].

== Young Archie competition{{anchor|Young Archie Prize}} ==
The Young Archie competition was established in 2013 for children aged 5–18. Entrants are divided into four age categories.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Galvin |first=Nick |date=2013-04-15 |title=Portrait by young artist with an obligatory cat |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/portrait-by-young-artist-with-an-obligatory-cat-20130415-2hw4z.html |access-date=2024-07-27 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}</ref>

== Associated prizes ==
The Archibald Prize is held at the same time as the [[Sir John Sulman Prize]], the [[Wynne Prize]], the [[Mortimore Prize for Realism]], the [[Australian Photographic Portrait Prize]], the [[Young Archie competition]] and (before 2003) the [[Dobell Prize]]. The Archibald is the next richest portrait prize in Australia after the [[Doug Moran National Portrait Prize]].

In 1978 [[Brett Whiteley]] won the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes all in the same year, the only time this has happened. It was his second win for the Archibald and the other prizes as well.{{cn|date=March 2017}}

The satirical [[Bald Archy Prize]], supposedly judged by a [[cockatoo]], was started in 1994 at the Coolac Festival of Fun as a parody of the Archibald Prize; it attracted so many visitors that it has moved to Sydney.

== History and controversies ==
The prize has attracted a good deal of controversy and several court cases. The most famous was in 1943, when [[William Dobell]]'s winning painting, ''[[Mr Joshua Smith]]'', a portrait of fellow artist [[Joshua Smith (artist)|Joshua Smith]], was challenged because of claims it was a caricature rather than a portrait.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224834830 |title=IS IT A PORTRAIT OR A CARICATURE ? |newspaper=[[Weekly Times]] |issue=3932 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=25 October 1944 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

[[Max Meldrum]] criticised the 1938 Archibald Prize winner, [[Nora Heysen]], saying that women could not be expected to paint as well as men.  Heysen was the first woman to win the Archibald Prize, with a portrait of Madame Elink Schuurman, the wife of the Consul General for the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198297745 |title=WOMEN AND ART |newspaper=[[The Evening News (Sydney)|The Evening News]] |issue=5140 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=27 January 1939 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1953, several art students, including [[John Olsen (Australian artist)|John Olsen]], protested against William Dargie's winning portrait, the seventh time he had been awarded the prize. One protester tied a sign around her dog which said "Winner Archibald Prize – William Doggie".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206111636 |title=Hostile Reaction to Art Award |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=30,496 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=26 January 1953 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Dargie went on to win the prize again in 1956.

On becoming prime minister in 1972, [[Gough Whitlam]] commissioned his friend [[Clifton Pugh]] to paint the official portrait. Normally the Australian Parliament Historical Memorial Committee would have commissioned a portrait.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110821135 |title=DOUBT OVER P.M.'s IMAGE HANG-UP |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=50 |issue=14,455 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=12 August 1976 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Portraits of Parliament|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Art/Online_Gallery/Portrait_Gallery|website=Parliament of Australia|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref> Pugh's portrait of Whitlam won the 1972 Archibald Prize.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126829272 |title=Casting a long shadow |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=55 |issue=16,614 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=23 March 1981 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1975, John Bloomfield's portrait of [[Tim Burstall]] was disqualified on the grounds that it had been painted from a blown up photograph, rather than from life.<ref name="Bloomfield">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116406904 |title=COURT REPORTS |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=58 |issue=17,519 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=16 September 1983 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The prize was then awarded to [[Kevin Connor (artist)|Kevin Connor]]. In 1983, John Bloomfield sued for the return of the 1975 prize which was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116408390 |title=COURT REPORTS |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=58 |issue=17,527 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=24 September 1983 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> As a result of the controversy, the application form for the Archibald Prize was modified to make it clear that the subject must be painted from life.<ref name="kgbo"/> Bloomfield later claimed that [[Eric Smith (artist)|Eric Smith's]] winning 1981 portrait of [[Rudy Komon]] was painted from a photograph taken in 1974. This claim was refuted by Smith and Komon and the Trustees agreed with the artist and the complaint was dismissed on 23 September 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winner: Archibald Prize 1981, Rudy Komon — Eric John Smith |url=https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/1981/18771/ |access-date=5 June 2023 |website=Art Gallery of New South Wales}}</ref>

In 1985, administration of the trust was transferred to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, after a court case where the [[Perpetual Limited|Perpetual Trustee Company]] took the Australian Journalists Association Benevolent Fund to court.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127207283 |title=AJA challenge to Archibald Prize hits the canvas |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |volume=59 |issue=18,180 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=9 July 1985 |access-date=17 April 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In 1997, the painting by [[Evert Ploeg]] of the ''[[Bananas in Pyjamas]]'' television characters was deemed ineligible by the trustees because it was not a painting of a person.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lawson|first1=Valerie|title=Archibald and me|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/archibald-and-me/2006/03/23/1143083891816.html?page=fullpage|access-date=16 April 2018|work=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref>

Another controversy involved the 2000 Archibald winner, when artist [[Adam Cullen]] lodged a complaint with the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]], that it had used his painting, ''Portrait of David Wenham'', in a television commercial.<ref>{{cite web|title=Copyright, Moral Rights, Licensing Agreements|url=https://www.scribd.com/document/332860420/copyright|publisher=Australian Copyright Council|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

In 2002, head packer Steve Peters singled out a painting of himself by Dave Machin as a possible winner for the [[List of Archibald Prize winners#Winners of the Packing Room Prize|Packing Room Prize]]. It did not win, but it was hung outside the Archibald exhibition. Following that, portraits of the head packer were no longer allowed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jenny Morris portrait wins Archibald packers' prize|url=https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/29/1022569789651.html|access-date=16 April 2018|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 May 2002}}</ref>

In 2004, [[Craig Ruddy]]'s image of [[David Gulpilil]], which won both the main prize and the "People's Choice" award, was challenged on the basis that it was a charcoal sketch rather than a painting. The claim was dismissed in the [[Supreme Court of New South Wales]] in June 2006.<ref>{{cite news|title=Artist sues over Archibald winner|url=https://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/artist-sues-over-archibald-winner/2006/05/29/1148754917736.html|access-date=16 April 2018|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Archibald winner takes prize in court|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/archibald-winner-takes-prize-in-court/news-story/90e0766ed37f117879a08fdb8e3a333d?sv=b2eeb50d5450883f06196b14c2dc8f6|access-date=16 April 2018|work=The Australian|date=15 June 2006}}</ref>

In 2008, [[Sam Leach (artist)|Sam Leach]]'s image of himself in a [[Nazi]] uniform made the front page of Melbourne's newspaper ''[[The Age]]''<ref name=Edwards>{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=Lorna |title=Archibald Hitler portrait stirs up fury |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/archibald-hitler-portrait-stirs-up-fury/2008/02/28/1203788539252.html |access-date=5 August 2015 |work=The Age |date=29 February 2008}}</ref> and sparked a national debate about the appropriateness of his choice of subject matter. The prize money was also changed to $50,000. It was changed twice more, and {{as of|2015|lc=y}} is worth $100,000.<ref name=Ong />

In 2020 the competition was delayed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morris|first=Linda|date=2020-03-21|title='Paint has more time to dry': Archibald Prize delayed|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/art-and-design/paint-has-more-time-to-dry-archibald-prize-delayed-20200321-p54ck2.html|access-date=2020-06-14|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref> and for the first time an Indigenous painter ([[Vincent Namatjira]]) won the prize.<ref name="Guardian2020">{{Cite web |date=2020-09-25 |title=Archibald prize 2020: Vincent Namatjira named winner for portrait of Adam Goodes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/25/archibald-prize-2020-winner-portrait-vincent-namatjira-adam-goodes |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
*{{Official website|https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/}}
*[http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1306400 Archibald Prize at everything2]
*[https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/archibald/ Past winners and finalists]
*{{cite web | url = http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/the_archibald_prize | title = The Archibald Prize | access-date = 5 October 2015 | author = Edmund Capon |year = 2014 | work=[[Dictionary of Sydney]]| publisher = Dictionary of Sydney Trust| author-link = Edmund Capon }} <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Creative Commons license|CC-By-SA]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>

{{Archibald Prize}}
{{Australian art awards}}

[[Category:Archibald Prize| ]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1921]]
[[Category:1921 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Australian visual arts awards]]
[[Category:Portrait art]]