Bryan Westwood Donald Horne AO

Donald Horne was instrumental in having Bryan Westwood commissioned to paint his portrait for the University of Canberra, where Horne was chancellor from 1992 to 1995. “I began working on a fairly large painting, which I’m still working on, about three years ago,” says Westwood. “The sketch, which Donald will eventually have, I wanted to finish to the point where it was no longer just a sketch but had some of the representational qualities of a normal portrait – so that’s why it’s underpainted by normal standards.”

Westwood was interested in Horne as “a familiar identity on the Australian landscape particularly given his association with the Australian Republican movement”. A writer and historian, Horne has held many positions including chair of the Australia Council from 1985 to 1990 and president of the Society of Authors from 1984 to 1985. He was convenor of the National Ideas Summit in 1990 and chair of the Ideas Australia Programme from 1991 to 1994.

Born in Peru in 1930, Westwood is a largely self-taught painter and printmaker. He took lessons from Justin O’Brien, Jeffrey Smart and Dorothy Thornhill in the 1960s but lists visiting the Prado every day for two months while in Spain as an important influence. He has also worked as a film producer, writer and advertising director. He has won the Archibald Prize twice, with portraits of Elwyn Lynn in 1989 and Paul Keating in 1992.