David Naseby A blackguard rehearsing – Max Cullen

David Naseby has painted portraits of actor/visual artist Max Cullen on four occasions, one of which was hung in the 2000 Salon des Refusés – “and I never want to paint him again!” he says with a laugh. “He’s so difficult to paint because he’s a character actor so his facial expressions change all the time. It is difficult to get to the real Max, whoever that is.”

This portrait refers to the play A couple of blackguards about Frank and Malachy McCourt, in which Cullen co-starred with Max Gillies at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre. Naseby had not originally planned to paint anything for this year’s Archibald Prize, but one day he and Cullen were having a few drops of Guinness together and Naseby decided that it called for a portrait.

“I wanted to do something a little light-hearted so it’s basically a nice portrait of Max having a drink! I couldn’t do a serious painting of him. I wanted to bring out the Irish in him with that little bit of green but with the Australian blue singlet as well,” says Naseby. “I think it really sums him up.”

Born in England in 1937, Naseby studied at Northampton Art College. Arriving in Australia in 1953, he studied at the Queensland Art Gallery before moving to Sydney. He has had two portraits in previous Archibalds and one in the 2000 Sporting Portrait Prize.

This portrait of Cullen is now in the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.