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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Truth and Likeness

This exhibition seeks to explore the nature of portraiture, providing an investigation into the importance of likeness to contemporary portraits.

More information on Truth and Likeness

Selected images

3 images
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Virus, 2006 by Ben Quilty
Virus, 2006 by Ben Quilty
38 Degrees, 2006 by Ben Quilty
38 Degrees, 2006 by Ben Quilty
Joe, 2006 by Ben Quilty
Joe, 2006 by Ben Quilty
3 images
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Related information

Lauren in Red, 2003
Lauren in Red, 2003
Lauren in Red, 2003
Lauren in Red, 2003

Is the truth of portraiture vested exclusively in likeness?

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2006

Curator Michael Desmond introduces the exhibition Truth and Likeness, an investigation of the importance of likeness to portraiture.
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The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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