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Portraiture

Margaret Olley, Portrait in the mirror, 1948
How to use this resource
Designed to engage audiences with portraiture, this online education kit includes Create, Engage, Investigate and Reflect activities and ideas responding to portraits in the collection for Primary and Secondary students.
CREATE: Art-making activities to build confidence in exploring Portraiture
ENGAGE: Talking, debating and discussing artworks and ideas
INVESTIGATE: Researching and developing viewpoints about art and artists
REFLECT: Thinking and responding to art and art-making
Artworks in each section are starting points to inspire art-making and discussion on portraiture.
This kit can be used in conjunction with any exhibition or study of portraiture and is particularly relevant to the Gallery’s annual Archibald Prize.

Theme
Self-portraits
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Theme
Identity and place
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Theme
The artist and the sitter
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Theme
Process and practice
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Theme
Familiar faces
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Theme
Pushing the boundaries
Read AllKey questions
What is a portrait? Look up the definition of the word ‘portrait’. Are portraits still regarded as an important subject in art?
Take a selfie with a phone. Compare your photo to a portrait painting. What is similar? What is different?
What portraits do you like and why?
How have artistic styles and approaches to portraiture changed over time?
Can you see diversity represented in the Archibald Prize finalists over the past 100 years?
Look at the current Archibald Prize. Reflect on the changing face of our nation. Can you see yourself reflected in the portraits?

Archie 100
All the themes and works from the exhibition

Finding the Archibald
Art lover and acclaimed actor Rachel Griffiths presents a three-part documentary series for ABC-TV on the centenary of the prize.
play
>> Watch Finding the Archibald

Finding the Archibald Education resource
Ready to use, curriculum-linked, resources and activities
Created by the AGNSW and ABC Education
>> Access the Education resource

Virtual tour of the Archibald Prize 2021
360-degree immersive experience that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Learn more about the works with clickable hotspots to access label text for each artwork.
>> Take a virtual tour of the Archibald Prize 2021