Ralph Heimans: Portraiture. Power. Influence. is the first major exhibition of the Sydney-born artist’s work in his home country. Heimans is an internationally sought-after portraitist known for his meticulously realised paintings that revitalise a centuries-old tradition and provide insights into the lives of the prominent and powerful. His work is defined by his bold approach to geometry, luminosity, symbolism and draughtsmanship.
The exhibition will feature some of the most significant portraits in the artist’s career to date, from early major works such as his painting of HM Queen Mary of Denmark through to his most recent paintings. Commissioned paintings will offer a behind-the-curtain peek into the lives of sitters including King Charles III, Dame Judi Dench and Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO. A number of studies that explore Heimans’ complex process and technique will accompany the large-scale portraits.
The exhibition will present portraits loaned from private and public collections in Australia and overseas, some of which have never been exhibited publicly in Australia.
Presented exclusively at the National Portrait Gallery from March to May 2024.
[Image: HM Queen Mary of Denmark (detail), 2006 by Ralph Heimans AM. The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle © Ralph Heimans]
