Archibald Prize 1956
Entries: 153 (61 selected)
Exhibition dates: 18 January to 17 February 1957
Only selected works were exhibited; each artist could submit up to two works
This marked the eighth Archibald win for William Dargie – the most for any artist ever. His portrait of artist Albert Namatjira is probably the most recognisable and universally respected work in the prize’s history. Woman’s Day magazine published a full-page colour reproduction of the portrait, ‘suitable for framing’, for its readers.
According to the trustees’ minutes, this year for the first time television stations were permitted to record the judging ceremony and the balloting for the award.
- Mary Abbott - Imogen Osborne
- S Antonini - Jocelyn
- Alan Baker - Rev Douglas Coles
- Alan Baker - Self-portrait
- William Geoffrey Boissevain - Claude Hotchin
- Mary Brady - RH Powers, Esq
- Mary Caldersmith - Sister Jones
- Donald Cameron - George Pitt, Esq
- Reg Campbell - Evelyn Campbell
- Reg Campbell - LC Nock, Esq
- Jack Carington Smith - Sir Samuel Wadham
- Jack Carington Smith - Lucien Dechaineux
- Leonard Henry Carter - Self-portrait
- Judy Cassab - Portrait of Sir Charles Bickerton Blackburn
- Judy Cassab - Portrait of Mr Frank Packer
- Barry Chamberlain - Eric Thorne
- Louise Cornwell - Lieut-Gen Garrett
- Ronald William Crawford - William Dolphin
- George Crossley - Mr S Forster
- Joseph Dainer - The Hon JJ Cahill, MLA
- William Dargie - Mr Albert Namatjira (Winner: Archibald Prize 1956)
- William Dargie - Air Vice-Marshal FM Bladin, CB, CBE
- Aileen R Dent - Brin Newton John, Esq, MA
- Mary Edwell-Burke - Miss Thelma Attwood
- Bruce Fletcher - Mr JT Tomasetti
- Bruce Fletcher - Lynette
- Donald Friend - Portrait of Nicholas Harvey
- Owen Garde - Mr Paul Thomas
- Edna Garran-Brown - Namatjira in Sydney
- Henry Aloysius Hanke - The Hon RJ Heffron, MLA
- Newton Hedstrom - Jim Healy
- Ivor Hele - Mr IB Jose, MC
- Ivor Hele - Right Rev BP Robin
- Sali Herman - James Joyce Esq, Prince of Wales Island
- Tom Hubble - Joe Holloway
- Iljachapoff - Portrait of Ruby Rich
- Graeme Inson - Roderick Shaw
- Kenneth Jack - Self-portrait
- Peter James - Jack Dunleavy
- Reginald Jerrold-Nathan - Mrs C Dale
- Georgina Kalmar - Henri Le Grand, centring clay
- J Noel Kilgour - Rev Keith Dowding
- Michael Kmit - Ruth Faerber
- Eric Knight - Portrait of Olaf Ruhen
- Valerie Lazarus - Wendy Solling
- Valerie Lazarus - Rabbi LA Falk
- Vaike Liibus - Joshua Smith
- Charles McKervey - Frank Hilder, Esq
- Mary Elizabeth McLeish - Mrs Alan Brett
- Alan Martin - Alan Marshall
- Leonard Victor Mitchell - Ngaio Marsh
- Jon Molvig - Self-portrait
- Clif Peir - Miriam Hyde
- L Scott Pendlebury - Brett Randall
- William Pidgeon - Mr Ben Freshwater
- Theo Scott - Miss Marie Carberry
- Joshua Smith - Vaike Liibus
- Joshua Smith - Self-portrait
- Wallace Thornton - Mrs Hugh Hamilton
- Charles Wheeler - Mrs William Abrahams
- Clive Wilbow - A painter of still life