Inside the Archibald Prize
Students at the Archibald Prize 2019 exhibition with Marc Etherington Idris Murphy and his dog Wally © the artist
Since 1921, the Archibald Prize has highlighted figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes, reflecting back to us the stories of our times.
Judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the prize is awarded annually to the best portrait, ‘preferentially of some man or woman distinguished in art, letters, science or politics, painted by any artist resident in Australasia’. An exhibition of works is held at the Art Gallery, and in more recent years has toured to regional venues.
Inside the Archibald Prize brings together the portraits, facts and stories of the prize with supporting strategies for teaching and learning about portraiture across all learning levels. This learning resource is designed to be used in conjunction with a visit to the Archibald Prize exhibition or to support studies in portraiture.
Archibald Prize 2023
Information about the exhibition and tour, including related events, booking your visit, and all the finalists and winners
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Archibald Prize archive
Works from 1921 to now, including images and text for many portraits
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Portraiture learning resource
Designed to engage audiences with portraiture and inspire art-making and discussion.
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In 2021, we celebrated 100 years of the Archibald Prize with the Archie 100 exhibition and the ABC-TV series Finding the Archibald. Discover more about the history of the prize, along with thought-provoking questions for classroom discussion, in these resources.
