Alice Giles

Rosemary Madigan’s drawing of Alice Giles AM (b. 1961) is an intimate portrait of one of Australia's preeminent classical musicians by one of the country's most important figurative sculptors. Primarily working in wood and stone, Madigan was awarded the Wynne Prize in 1986, the first time in over three decades that a sculptural form had won the award. A talented draftsperson, she taught drawing, sculpture and pottery in the 1950s and 1960s at the South Australian School of Art. In this portrait Madigan moved quickly across the surface of the paper to build a rhythmic energy throughout the composition, with Giles' face and outstretched arm described in soft contour hatching and delicate black linework. The influence of Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, as well as the work of Madigan's partner, the sculptor Robert Klippel AO, are evident in her push towards a more geometrical exploration of the two-dimensional form, which speaks to the artist’s own sculptural practice. Giles is an internationally celebrated harp soloist, who has performed in recitals and with orchestras in Europe, America, the Middle East and Australia. Posed plucking the strings of a harp with eyes trained on the instrument, this gently rendered portrait captures her quiet focus.

Gift of Alice Giles AM, in memory of her mother Rosemary Madigan 2023
© Rosemary Madigan/Copyright Agency, 2024