William Dargie, 91; Award-Winning Australian Portraitist
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Sir William Dargie, 91, one of Australia’s most respected portrait artists, died of natural causes Saturday at a Melbourne hospital.
Dargie won his nation’s most prestigious portrait award, the Archibald Prize, a record eight times between 1941 and 1956. He learned of the first award while digging a trench in Egypt as a soldier in the Australian army during World War II.
He painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 that still hangs in Australia’s Parliament House, with prints in schools and council chambers across the country.
Although Australia is independent, the queen is recognized as its head of state.
Dargie conceded initial fright about painting the queen at Buckingham Palace, but said she quickly put him at ease and was “very amusing ... marvelous.”
One of Dargie’s most famous portraits was of the aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira, whom he considered a close friend.
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