William dobell painted Joshua smith in 1943 Oil on Canvas - 107 x 76cm
In 1943 William Dobell's winning painting of Joshua Smith was challenged in court because of claims from other finalists (Mary Edwards and Joseph Wolinski) that it was a caricature not a portrait. The court battle was very public and everyone had an opinion on it, it made Dobell a household name and all the commotion made the Archibald prize in Sydney the most popular art competition in all of Australia. The court case was dismissed and Dobell became sick because of the controversy and debate so he left the attention of Sydney to live in Wangi Wangi in Lake Macquarie.
In 1943 he won the Archibald Prize, Australia's principal award for portraiture, for a painting of fellow-artist Joshua Smith. The award was immediately challenged on the grounds that Dobell's entry showed a degree of distortion which made it a caricature rather than a true portrait, but the court upheld the judging panel's decision. Resultant newspaper publicity greatly expanded interest in Dobell's work, but as a result of the controversy Dobell withdrew to to his sister's home at Wangi Wangi on Lake Macquarie, where he began to paint landscapes
French Rococo
Victor Vasarely was influenced at art school by Paul Klee and Vasily Kandinsky and with William Ostwalds theory of colour scales.
William Dobell painted the strapper in 1941
why did william dobell paint a portrait of joshua smith?
Sir William Dobell was born on September 24, 1899.
Sir William Dobell was born on September 24, 1899.
William Dobell was born in Cooks Hill, a working class neighbourhood of Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia.
William dobell painted Joshua smith in 1943 Oil on Canvas - 107 x 76cm
painting
He lived 24 September 1899 - 13 May 1970.
In the New South Wales town called Wangi wangi
William Dobell in 1943. With it he won the Archibald Prize
Oil paint on canvas
Dobell won the archibald prize in 1943 and many people believed his painting was exagurated and so it should be called a caricature.