Author Peter Goldsworthy glad to see the back of himself in painting by Deidre But-Husaim for National Portrait Gallery’s 20th anniversary
ADELAIDE author Peter Goldsworthy is captured at his desk in a new painting commissioned for the National Portrait Gallery’s 20th anniversary – but artist Deidre But-Husaim has taken the unusual step of depicting him from behind.
LOST in contemplation, Adelaide author Peter Goldsworthy is captured at his desk in a new painting commissioned for the National Portrait Gallery’s 20th anniversary – but artist Deidre But-Husaim has taken the unusual step of depicting him from behind.
“I love it – I’ve always thought it was my best side,’’ Dr Goldsworthy laughed.
“She’s captured the writer in some dreamy moment, but people who have lived with me say I’m a nightmare because - ever since I can remember - I just drift off into these reveries.’’
The work, titled The Writer, is one of 20 new portraits of “outstanding Australians” being done by different artists around the country for the Canberra gallery’s permanent collection, the largest commissioning project in its history.
Six of the works are being revealed today, with the remainder to join them in an exhibition titled 20/20 at the National Portrait Gallery from October 20.
After being approached individually and paired by the gallery, Ms But-Husaim met Dr Goldsworthy for the first time and had the idea for her painting after reviewing photos she took in the study at his city home.
“When I came across it, I just really loved the attitude that he had – he looked like he was deep in thought, which he probably was,’’ the Thebarton-based artist said.
“It wasn’t posed or instructed. The light in that room is just beautiful, coming through the window.”
She ran it past the gallery’s commissioning curator, to make sure that it would be happy with a portrait “that wasn’t going to show his face”.
“I always have the question of ‘What is a portrait?’ Are we more than just what we appear to be externally?”
Dr Goldsworthy is shown with his laptop and writing implements, surrounded by photos of his family and a model of the ship which inspired his opera libretto Batavia, “with the Jolly Rogers (pirate flags) that my little grandsons cut out of paper and stuck on’’.
“That is something really special to me,’’ he said.
Other portraits announced for the project today include dancer Li Cunxin by painter Jun Chen, a study of author Louis Nowra on 64 canvas boards by Imants Tillers, and photographs of basketballer Andrew Gaze (by George Fetting), rugby union player Tony Shaw (by Sarah Rhodes) and Australian of the Year, quantum physicist Michelle Simmons (by Selina Ou).