Derek Freeman (1916–2001) was an anthropologist. Born in New Zealand, he gained his doctorate from Cambridge before moving to Canberra in 1955 to work at the Australian National University. During the 1960s he began to question certain anthropological methods and theories and to explore the role of disciplines such as psychoanalysis and evolutionary biology in understanding in human behaviour. He had earlier been inspired by the work of American anthropologist Margaret Mead, but came to doubt her highly influential account of adolescent sexuality in Samoa, finding her theories too narrowly based on the 'nature vs nurture' debate. His consequent book Margaret Mead and Samoa: The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth (1983) caused a furore in the academic world.
Artist Ralph Heimans first met Freeman in 1988 following the publication of the book's sequel and the release of his father Frank Heimans' documentary film about the controversy. Having previously painted two portraits of Freeman, he was inspired to do another in 1996, when David Williamson's play about Freeman, Heretic, premiered in Sydney. The third painting was never realised, but Heimans considers this preliminary study for it his 'most successful attempt at capturing Derek's obsessive, determined spirit'.
Gift of the artist 2001
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