Sir John Sulman Prize
Sulman Prize 2011
Finalist Peter Hickey's 'Taronga rhythms'
Sulman Prize 1996
Winner Aida Tomescu's 'Grey to grey'
Sulman Prize 2012
Finalist Matthew Quick's 'Low-hanging fruit'
The Sulman Prize is awarded for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist.
A genre painting is normally a composition representing some aspect or aspects of everyday life, and may feature figurative, still-life, interior or figure-in-landscape themes. A subject painting, in contrast, is idealised or dramatised. Typically, a subject painting takes its theme from history, poetry, mythology or religion. In both cases, however, the style may be figurative, representative, abstract or semi-abstract.
A mural is a picture fixed directly to a wall or ceiling as part of an architectural and/or decorative scheme.
Established within the terms of Sir John Sulman’s bequest, the prize was first awarded in 1936. Each year the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW invite a guest artist to judge this open competition. Finalists are displayed in an exhibition at the Gallery (although in the early years all entrants were hung).
How to enter
Explore past winners and finalists
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| Sulman 2004 finalists | Allan Mitelman untitled |
| Sulman 2003 finalists | Eric Smith Refelection |
| Sulman 2002 finalists | Wei Guan Gazing into deep space no. 9 |
| Sulman 2001 finalists | Euan MacLeod Exquisite Corpse with Fire |
| Sulman 2000 finalists | John Peart Snailsnake |
| Sulman 1999 finalists | Anne Wallace Secret paintings |
| Sulman 1998 finalists | Robert Jacks Changed into a weeping willow |
| Sulman 1997 finalists | Kevin Connor The man with itchy fingers and other figures -... |
| Sulman 1996 finalists | Aida Tomescu Grey to grey |
| Sulman 1995 finalists | Juli Haas By the Banks of Her Own Lagoon |
| Sulman 1994 finalists | Noel McKenna Boy Dressed as Batman 2 |
| Sulman 1993 finalists | John Montefiore Life Series |
| Sulman 1991/92 finalists | Kevin Connor Najaf (Iraq) June 1991 |
| Sulman 1990 finalists | Robert Hollingworth Going away/Looking back |
| Sulman 1989 finalists | John Olsen Don Quixote Enters the Inn |
| Sulman 1988 finalists | Bob Marchant Catching rabbits and yabbies at 5 Mile Dam |
| Sulman 1987 finalists | Marcus Beilby Crutching the Ewes |
| Sulman 1986 finalists | Wendy Sharpe Black sun - morning to night |
| Sulman 1985 finalists | Victor Morrison Western Suburbs Magi |
| Sulman 1984 finalists | Tim Storrier The Burn |
| Sulman 1983 finalists | Nigel Thomson Marat, the Unsophisticated will be Shocked at t... |
| Sulman 1982 finalists | Salvatore Zofrea Psalm 24 |
| Sulman 1981 finalists | William Delafield Cook A French Family |
| Sulman 1980 finalists | Brian Dunlop The Old Physics Building |
| Sulman 1979 finalists | Salvatore Zofrea The Water Trap |
| Sulman 1978 finalists | Brett Whiteley The Yellow Nude |
| Sulman 1977 finalists | Salvatore Zofrea Woman's life woman's love 3 |
| Sulman 1976 finalists | Brett Whiteley Interior with time past |
| Sulman 1975 finalists | Alan Oldfield Transvestite (for Diane Arbus) |
| Sulman 1974 finalists | Keith Looby Still Life and Comfy II |
| Sulman 1973 finalists | Eric Smith The painter transmogrified and Mrs Smith |
| Sulman 1972 finalists | Peter Powditch Sun-torso 128 (Bunch) |
| Sulman 1971 finalists | James Meldrum Pyramid Shelf |
| Sulman 1970 finalists | Michael Kmit Philopena |
| Sulman 1969 finalists | Louis James Spy-hole |
| Sulman 1968 finalists | Tim Storrier Suzy 350 |
| Sulman 1967 finalists | Cec Burns Exercise in variegation |
| Sulman 1966 finalists | Louis James It's Hot in Town |
| Sulman 1965 finalists | Gareth Jones-Roberts Grape-pickers and Vineyards |
| Sulman 1964 finalists | Ken Reinhard The Private Public Preview |
| Sulman 1963 finalists | Roy Fluke Spring Walk |
| Sulman 1962 finalists | John Rigby Children Dancing |
| Sulman 1961 finalists | Robin Norling Sea Movement and Rocks |
| Sulman 1960 finalists | Leonard French The Burial |
| Sulman 1959 finalists | Susan Wright The Circus |
| Sulman 1958 finalists | No award |
| Sulman 1957 finalists | Michael Kmit The Voice of Silence |
| Sulman 1956 finalists | Harold Greenhill Prawning at Night |
| Sulman 1955 finalists | Wesley Penberthy Oriental Mural |
| Sulman 1954 finalists | Wallace Thornton Sculptor and Model |
| Sulman 1953 finalists | Eric Smith "Convicts, Berrima, 1839" Mural, Old Court Hous... |
| Sulman 1952 finalists | Charles Doutney Darlinghurst Road |
| Sulman 1951 finalists | Douglas S Annand Mural - Restaurant R.M.S. "Oronsay" (in Situ) |
| Sulman 1950 finalists | Harold Greenhill Summer Holiday |
| Sulman 1949 finalists | Jack Carington Smith Mural for New State Building, Tasmania: "Bush P... |
| Sulman 1948 finalists | Sali Herman The Drovers |
| Sulman 1947 finalists | Douglas S Annand Mural "in situ", Messrs. Jantzen (Aust.) Pty. L... |
| Sulman 1946 finalists | Sali Herman Natives Carrying Wounded Soldiers |
| Sulman 1945 finalists | Virgil Lo Schiavo "Tribute to Shakespeare" |
| Sulman 1944 finalists | Jean Bellette Iphigenia in Tauris |
| Sulman 1943 finalists | Elaine Haxton Photographs of Murals at Le Coq Der Restaurant... |
| Sulman 1942 finalists | Jean Bellette For whom the bell tolls |
| Sulman 1941 finalists | Douglas S Annand Set of Historical murals - painted in oils on p... |
| Sulman 1940 finalists | Harold Abbott Vaucluse Interior |
| Sulman 1939 finalists | Gert Sellheim Mural Decoration on wall of Victorian Governmen... |
| Sulman 1938 finalists | Matthew Charles Meere Atalanta's Eclipse |
| Sulman 1937 finalists | No award |
| Sulman 1936 finalists | Henry Aloysius Hanke La Gitana |
