Notable Trials: The Dobell Case: Attorney-General v Trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW (1944) 62 WN (NSW) 212 / Thomas Bradley.

Brisbane : Supreme Court Library Queensland 2016

87164

Dobell, William, -- Sir, -- 1899-1970.

One of the world’s leading art prizes, The Archibald Prize, has been the battleground for debates and disputes about the definition of portraiture since its inception in 1921. It was established in 1919, pursuant to the will of Mr J F Archibald (a former editor of The Bulletin). Its annual exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW have reflected the evolving tastes and trends of Australia’s visual arts culture and offered public exposure to new interpretations of the portraiture genre. The legal case brought against the 1943 Archibald Prize winner, William Dobell (then a relatively unknown artist), forms part of a long history of art-world litigation built around questions of taste and changing definitions of art itself. Dobell’s prize winning portrait used distortion and exaggeration to capture the essence and character of his friend and colleague Joshua Smith; the artist sought to create an image, not merely copy one. The final, convention-breaking painting created huge public interest and stimulated debate about the definition of portraiture.

Open access

Thomas Bradley QC, 'Notable Trials: The Dobell Case: Attorney-General v Trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW (1944) 62 WN (NSW) 212', 2016 Selden Society Lecture 2 given at the Banco Court, Brisbane, 21 Apr 2016

Dobell's Case

1 online video YouTube video

1 online paper (68 pages) PDF