Explore the history of the Archibald Prize at Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize opening Saturday November 6 at Geelong Gallery!

Since 1921, the Archibald Prize has been awarded to the best portrait painted by any artist resident in Australasia of a distinguished person in art, letters, science or politics. Originally a £400 award, today it’s a $100,000 prize and the most sought-after honour in Australian art.

This exhibition honours the prize’s 100-year anniversary, displaying almost 100 artworks arranged thematically from the prestigious portrait award’s history. Portraits range from the commonplace to the controversial, with entries from every decade represented.

Art Gallery of NSW director Dr Michael Brand says, ‘Since its inception, the Archibald Prize has attracted entries from both prominent and emerging artists in Australia and New Zealand, and celebrated figures from all walks of life, from famous faces to local heroes.

‘Archie 100 is an enthralling exploration of some of the key moments in the evolution of the prize, from 1921 to today, and an opportunity to reflect on our shared history and consider how we’ve changed over the course of a century.’

Curating Archie 100 follows many years of research into more than 6,000 works that have been shown in the Archibald to date. Artworks on show include those uncovered from a national public appeal for help to locate lost portraits; a selection of works from the Art Gallery of NSW collection; works from libraries, galleries and museums across Australia and New Zealand; and those from private collections.

Geelong Gallery is the only Victorian venue to host Archie 100, which concludes on Sunday February 20, 2022. Following the Gallery’s successful presentation of RONE, the city looks forward to welcoming a projected 80,000 people to the region.

Archie 100: A Century of the Archibald Prize 
Geelong Gallery
Saturday November 6 2021 – Sunday February 20 2022
Tickets on sale now