Wynne Prize Explained

The Wynne Prize is an Australian landscape painting or figure sculpture art prize. As one of Australia's longest-running art prizes, it was established in 1897 from the bequest of Richard Wynne.[1] [2] Now held concurrently with the Sir John Sulman Prize and the Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.

It is awarded annually for "the best landscape painting of Australian scenery in oils or watercolours or for the best example of figure sculpture by Australian artists completed during the 12 months preceding the [closing] date".

Many of Australia's most famous artists have won the prize, including William Dobell, Brett Whiteley, Hans Heysen, Gloria Petyarre, Lloyd Rees, Fred Williams, William Robinson, Eric Smith, Nyapanyapa Yunupingu, and Sali Herman.

In 2010, the prize awarded was A$25,000, but the painting by Sam Leach which was awarded the prize, was later revealed to be a close copy of the 17th-century painting Boatmen Moored on the Shore of an Italian Lake by Adam Pijnacker. Concern was expressed that the prize had been awarded to a painting which did not fulfil the prize's criteria.[3] Nevertheless, the trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales decided that the award would stand.[4]

List of winners

Image Title Year Artist Technique Dimensions (cm) Gallery
The Storm1897Walter Withersoil on canvas on hardboard119.8 x 179.5Art Gallery of New South Wales
The last gleam1898W. Lister Listeroil on canvas183 x 274.5
Across the black soil plains1899George Washington Lambertoil on canvas91.6 x 305.5Art Gallery of New South Wales
Still Autumn1900Walter Withers
Thunderstorm on the Darling1901William Piguenit
In Defence of the Flat1902James White
Glenora1903Edward Officer
Mystic Morn1904Hans Heysen
A Blaze of Blue Noon1905Albert J. Hansonwatercolour
The Golden Splendour of the Bush1906W. Lister Listeroil on canvas239.8 x 190.5Art Gallery of New South Wales
Portrait, H. Garlick, Esq.1907G. W. L. Hirst
Noontide, Burnside1908Will Ashton
Summer1909Hans HeysenwatercolourArt Gallery of New South Wales
Mid Song of Birds and Insects Murmuring1910W. Lister Lister
Hauling Timber1911Hans Heysenoil on canvas102.0 x 135.0Art Gallery of New South Wales
Sydney Harbour, Overlooking Taylors Bay1912W. Lister Lister
Federal Capital Site1913W. Lister Listeroil on canvas159.0 x 284.0Historical Memorials Collection
Landscape1914Penleigh Boyd
Knowledge, Fine Art and Commerce1915John Christie Wright
Morning Light1916Elioth Gruneroil on canvas on cardboard51.7 x 56.9Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Wind-swept Marsh Lands1917W. Lister Lister
The Grey Road1918W. B. McInnesoil on canvas123.2 x 154.6Art Gallery of New South Wales
Spring Frost1919Elioth Gruneroil on canvas157.5 x 206.3Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Toilers1920Hans Heysenwatercolour on paper73.0 x 86.0Art Gallery of South Australia
Valley of the Tweed1921Elioth Gruneroil on canvas142.2 x 172.7Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Quarry1922Hans Heysenwatercolour51.0 x 66.7Art Gallery of New South Wales
Head of an Old Man1923G. W. L. Hirst
An Afternoon in Autumn1924Hans Heysen
A Bush Track1925W. Lister Lister
The Farmyard, Frosty Morning1926Hans Heysen
Head1927Rayner Hoff
Afternoon Light, Goulburn Valley1928Arthur Streetonoil on canvas mounted on composition board51.0 x 76.0National Gallery of Australia
On the Murrumbidgee1929Elioth Gruneroil on canvas101.6 x 123.2Art Gallery of New South Wales
Kosciusko1930Will Ashton
Red Gums of the Far North1931Hans Heysen
Brachina Gorge1932Hans Heysen
Youth1933Lyndon Dadswellsculpture Art Gallery of NSW
Murrumbidgee Ranges, Canberra1934Elioth Gruneroil on canvas51.6 x 89.0National Gallery of Australia
Winter Morning1935James Muir Auldoil on canvas on paperboard41.3 x 46.3Art Gallery of New South Wales
Landscape1936Elioth Gruner
Weetangera, Canberra1937Elioth Gruneroil on canvas on cardboard88 x 100.9Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Approaching Storm1938Sydney Long
Morning Light, Middle Harbour1939Will Ashton
The Lake, Narrabeen1940Sydney Long
Valley Farms1941Lorna Muir Nimmo
Backyards1942Douglas Watson
The Hilltop1943Douglas Dundas
McElhone Stairs1944Sali Herman
Old Grain Stores, Greenaugh, W. A.1945Douglas Watson
January Weather1946Lance Solomon
Sofala1947Russell Drysdaleoil on canvas on hardboard71.7 × 93.1Art Gallery of New South Wales
Storm Approaching Wangi1948William Dobelloil on cardboard on composition board32.5 × 55.5
Two Rivers1949George Lawrence
The Harbour from McMahon's Point1950Lloyd Rees
Never Never Creek, Gleniffer1951Charles Meere
Summer at Kanmantoo1952Charles Bush
The River Bend1953Lance Solomon
Cooktown1954Arthur Evan Reed
Townsville Waterfront1955Charles Bush
The Chicory Kiln, Phillip Island1956L. Scott Pendlebury
Constitution Dock, Hobart1957L. Scott Pendlebury
The Cliff1958Ronald Steuart
Harbour Cruise1959Reinis Zusters
Dairy Farm, Victoria1960John Perceval
Landscape, Hill End1961David Strachan
The Devil's Bridge, Rottnest1962Sali Herman
Sandhills on the Darling1963Sam Fullbrook
Trees in a Landscape1964Sam Fullbrook (joint winner)
Landscape1964David Strachan (joint winner)
The Red House1965Sali Herman
Upwey Landscape V1966Fred Williams
Ravenswood I1967Sali Herman
Road to Whistlewood1968L. Scott Pendlebury
The Chasing Bird Landscape1969John Olsen
Redfern, Southern Portal1970Frederic Henry Bates
Karri Country1971Margaret Woodward
Falling Bark1972Eric Smith
Dry Landscape1973Clem Millward
Redfern Landscape1974Eric Smith
Murchison Sand Plain1975Robert Juniper
Mt Kosciusko1976Fred Williams
The Jacaranda Tree (On Sydney Harbour)1977Brett Whiteley
Summer at Carcoar1978Brett Whiteley
Flood Creek1979Robert Juniper
A Waterfall (Strath Creek)1980William Delafield Cook
Hills of Ravensdale1981David Voight
Morning on the Derwent1982Lloyd Rees
Life Along the Coast1983David Rankin
The South Coast After Rain1984Brett Whiteley
The Road to Clarendon, Autumn1985John Olsen
Torso1986Rosemary Madigan
Landscape Painting II1987Ian Bettinson
Fire and Drought near Old Junee1988Elwyn Lynn
Landscape Painting IV1989Ian Bettinson
The Rainforest1990William Robinson
Maschera Femina1991–92Peter Schipperheyn
Open Cut1993George Gittoes
Waratahs Wedderburn Series1994Suzanne Archer
Season of Drought1995David Aspden
Creation Landscape Earth and Sea1996William Robinson
Nandi Moon1997John Peart
Yellow Sound1998Ann Thomson
Leaves1999Gloria Tammere Petyarre
Thong Totems2000John Dahlsen
Piatra2001Aida Tomescu
Remembering Rain2002Angus Nivison
Seated Figure2003Tim Kyle
Untitled2004George Ward Tjungurrayi
The Road to Utopia2005Jenny Sages
The Gap2006John Beard
Winter Nocturne IV2007Philip Wolfhagen
The River is Calm2008Joanne Currie Nalingu
The Amorphous Ones (The Vast Colony of Our Being)2009Lionel Bawden
Proposal for Landscaped Cosmos2010Sam Leachoil and resin on wood30 × 30
Co-Isolated Slave2011Richard J. Goodwin
Waterfall (After Williams)2012Imants Tillers
Namatjira2013Imants Tillers
Oceania High Low2014Michael Johnson
Biophilia2015Natasha Bieniek
Seven Sisters2016Ken Family Collaborative
Antara2017Betty Kuntiwa Pumaniacrylic on linen250 x 200
Untitled2018Yukultji Napangatiacrylic on linen244.5 x 183
Seven sisters2019Sylvia Kenacrylic on linen200 x 240
Tjoritja2020Hubert Pareroultjaacrylic on canvas183 x 244
Garak – night sky2021Nyapanyapa Yunupinguearth pigments on board244.2 x 244.2
Eora2022Nicholas Hardlingoil on linen196.5 x 374.8[5]
Inma2023Zaachariaha Fieldingacrylic on linen198.5 x 306.2[6]
Nyalala gurmilili2024Djakaŋu Yunupiŋunatural pigments on bark263 x 154[7]

Notes and References

  1. News: Family Notices . . 17,861 . New South Wales, Australia . 17 June 1895 . 31 October 2023 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  2. News: Sydney Art Society . . 12,676 . Victoria, Australia . 15 October 1895 . 31 October 2023 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
  3. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/double-dutch-scandal-rocks-wynne-painting-prize/comments-e6frg6nf-1225853393138 "Double dutch: scandal rocks Wynne painting prize"
  4. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/sam-leach-to-keep-25000-wynne-prize-despite-resemblance-to-dutch-landscape/story-e6frg8n6-1225858974499 "Sam Leach to keep $25,000 Wynne prize despite resemblance to Dutch landscape"
  5. Web site: Archibald Prize Wynne 2022 work: Eora by Nicholas Harding . 2022-05-13 . Art Gallery of New South Wales . en.
  6. Web site: Archibald Prize Wynne 2023 work: Inma by Zaachariaha Fielding . 2024-06-07 . Art Gallery of New South Wales . en.
  7. Web site: Mendelssohn . Joanna . 2024-06-07 . Laura Jones wins the 2024 Archibald Prize with a portrait of Tim Winton, part of a grand artistic tradition . 2024-06-07 . The Conversation . en-US.