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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.

A man of superior attainments

Joanna Gilmour explores the life of a colonial portrait artist, writer and rogue Thomas Griffiths Wainewright.

More information on A man of superior attainments

Selected images

9 images
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The Cutmear sisters, Jane and Lucy, c. 1842
The Cutmear sisters, Jane and Lucy, c. 1842
Self portrait, c. 1840
Self portrait, c. 1840
Eleanor Fitzgerald, c. 1842
Eleanor Fitzgerald, c. 1842
Jane Scott, c. 1842
Jane Scott, c. 1842
William Bedford, c. 1846
William Bedford, c. 1846
Sir John Franklin, c. 1840
Sir John Franklin, c. 1840
Reverend William Bedford junior
Reverend William Bedford junior, c. 1846 Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Frederick George Brodribb, 1840
Frederick George Brodribb, 1840
Frances Maria Brodribb, 1840
Frances Maria Brodribb, 1840
9 images
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Related information

Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait
Self portrait

Elegance in exile

Portrait drawings from colonial Australia

Previous exhibition, 2012

Elegance in exile is an exhibition surveying the work of Richard Read senior, Thomas Bock, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright and Charles Rodius: four artists who, though exiled to Australia as convicts, created many of the most significant and elegant portraits of the colonial period.
Edward Paine Butler
Edward Paine Butler
Edward Paine Butler
Edward Paine Butler

Poison pen

Magazine article by Michael Desmond, 2010

Michael Desmond examines the career of the eighteenth-century suspected poisoner and portrait artist Thomas Griffiths Wainewright.
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
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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