The collections
Portrait of Andrew Sibley
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The Librarys collection of portraits of Australians of national significance was enhanced recently by the acquisition of a portrait of the artist Andrew Sibley, by Esther Erlich. Sibley is renowned as a portrait artist and notable for his entries in the Archibald Prize. According to McCullochs Encyclopedia of Australian Art (St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin, 1994), Sibleys work has remained distinctive for over 40 years of productive output. He has held annual exhibitions in Melbourne and has been the subject of a number of publications including Rodney Halls, Focus on Andrew Sibley (Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 1968) and Sasha Grishins, Andrew Sibley (East Roseville, NSW: G & B Arts International; distributed by Craftsman House, 1993). Sibleys work is widely represented in Australian galleries and the State libraries of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The acquisition will complement the Librarys holdings of published works about Sibley and oral history recordings made in 1963 and 1984. Ester Erlichs portrait of Andrew Sibley was a finalist in the 1998 Portia Geach Prize, which is awarded annually for a portrait of a sitter who is distinguished in the arts, letters or science. Erlich recently won the prestigious Doug Moran Portrait Prize. The Library also holds Erlichs Portrait of Louis Kahan (R11467) and three head studies for long-distance runner Steve Moneghetti (R11541). Esther Erlich (1955 |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: lkirwan@nla.gov.au