The Sir John Sulman Prize is one of Australia's longest-running art prizes, having been established in 1936.
It is now held concurrently with the
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor ...
, Australia's best-known art prize, and also with the
Wynne Prize, at the
Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney.
Criteria
The Sir
John Sulman
Sir John Sulman (29 August 1849 – 18 August 1934) was an Australian architect. Born in Greenwich, England, he emigrated to Sydney in 1885. From 1921 to 1924 he was chairman of the Federal Capital Advisory Committee and influenced the develop ...
Prize is awarded each year for "the best subject/genre painting and/or murals/mural project executed during the two years preceding the
losing
Losing may refer to:
Music
* "Losing" (Tenth Avenue North song), a 2012 song by Tenth Avenue North
* "Losing" (Takida song), a 2006 song by Takida
* ''Losing'' (album)
People with the surname
* Sabine Lösing (born 1955), German politician
Se ...
date", and as of 2008 is valued at $20,000. Media may be acrylic, oil, watercolour or mixed media, and applicants must have been resident in Australia for five years.
["Major art prizes: Sir John Sulman Prize"]
Art Gallery of New South Wales. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
The definition of the terms as given by the AGNSW is:
:A genre painting is normally a composition representing some aspect or aspects of everyday life, and may feature figurative, still-life, interior or figure-in-landscape themes. A subject painting, in contrast to a genre painting, is idealised or dramatised. Typically, a subject painting takes its theme from history, poetry, mythology or religion. In both cases, however, the style may be figurative, representative, abstract or semi-abstract. A mural is a picture that is affixed directly to a wall or ceiling, as part of an architectural and/or decorative scheme.
[
]
List of winners
Source:
*1940 – Harold Abbott – Vaucluse Interior (painting)
*1941 – Douglas Annand – Historical Mural at Bathurst Public School
*1942 – Jean Bellette – For Whom the Bell Tolls (painting)
*1943 – Elaine Haxton – Mural at le Coq D'Or Restaurant, Sydney
*1944 – Jean Bellette – Iphigenia in Tauris (painting)
*1945 – Virgil Lo Schiavo
Vergil Lo Schiavo (3 November 1909 – September 1971), also known as Virgil Lo Schiavo and nicknamed 'Vig', was an Italian-born Australian visual artist based in Sydney.
Early life and education
Born in Italy, Lo Schiavo grew up in Sydney ...
– Tribute to Shakespeare, Mural at Sydney University Union
*1946 – Sali Herman – Natives carrying wounded soldiers (painting)
*1947 – Douglas Annand – Mural, Messrs. Jantzen (Aust.) Pty. Ltd., Lidcombe.
*1948 – Sali Herman – The Drovers (painting)
*1949 – J. Carrington Smith
Jack Carington Smith (26 February 1908 – 19 March 1972) was an Australian artist from Launceston, Tasmania. Born simply "Smith", he adopted "Carington Smith" as his surname around 1936 when he won a travelling scholarship which enabled him to s ...
– Bush Pastoral, Mural design for New State Building, Hobart
*1950 – Harold Greenhill
Harold may refer to:
People
* Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Harold (surname), surname in the English language
* András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold"
Arts ...
– Summer Holiday (painting)
*1951 – Douglas Annand – Mural, Restaurant, R.M.S. "Oronsay"
*1952 – Charles Doutney
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
– Darlinghurst Road (painting)
*1953 – Eric Smith – Convicts Berrima 1839, Mural at Old Court House, Berrima
*1954 – Wallace Thornton
Wallace may refer to:
People
* Clan Wallace in Scotland
* Wallace (given name)
* Wallace (surname)
* Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back
* Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full nam ...
– Sculptor and Model (painting)
*1955 – Wesley Penberthy Wesley may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Wesley (name), a given name and a surname
Places United States
* Wesley, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Wesley, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Wesley Township, Will County, Il ...
– Oriental Mural (mural design)
*1956 – Harold Greenhill
Harold may refer to:
People
* Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Harold (surname), surname in the English language
* András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold"
Arts ...
– Prawning at Night (genre painting)
*1957 – Michael Kmit
Michael Kmit ( uk, Михайло Кміт) (25 July 1910 in Stryi, Lviv – 22 May 1981 in Sydney, Australia) was a Ukrainian painter who spent twenty-five years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting ...
– The Voice of Silence (subject painting)
*1958 – No Award
*1959 – Susan Wright – The Circus (genre painting)
*1960 – Leonard French
Leonard William French OBE (8 October 1928 – 10 January 2017) was an Australian artist, known principally for major stained glass works.
French was born in Brunswick, Victoria to a family of Cornish origin. His stained glass creations inc ...
– The Burial (subject painting)
*1961 – Robin Norling
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
**European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
**Forest rob ...
– Sea Movement and Rocks (mural design)
*1962 – John Rigby John Rigby may refer to:
*John Rigby (martyr) (c. 1570–1600), English Catholic and martyr
*John Rigby (gunmaker) (1892–1916), descendant of the founder of John Rigby & Co.
*Sir John Rigby (politician) (1834–1903), British lawyer and politicia ...
– Children Dancing (genre painting)
*1963 – Roy Fluke
Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin.
In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...
– Spring Walk (subject painting)
*1964 – Ken Reinhard
Ken or KEN may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer.
* ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film.
* ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine.
* Ken Masters, a main character in t ...
– The Private Public Preview (genre painting)
*1965 – Gareth Jones-Roberts
Sir Gareth (; Old French: ''Guerehet'', ''Guerrehet'') is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to ...
– Grape-pickers and Vineyards (subject painting)
*1966 – Louis James
Louis N. James (September 1882 – June 7, 1935) was an American amateur golfer.
1902 U.S. Amateur
James won the 1902 U.S. Amateur at Glen View Club, defeating Eben Byers
Ebenezer McBurney Byers (April 12, 1880 – March 31, 1932) was a wealt ...
– It's Hot in Town (genre painting)
*1967 – Cec Burns – Exercise in Variegation (subject painting)
*1968 – Tim Storrier – Suzy 350 (genre painting)
*1969 – Louis James
Louis N. James (September 1882 – June 7, 1935) was an American amateur golfer.
1902 U.S. Amateur
James won the 1902 U.S. Amateur at Glen View Club, defeating Eben Byers
Ebenezer McBurney Byers (April 12, 1880 – March 31, 1932) was a wealt ...
– Spyhole (subject painting)
*1970 – Michael Kmit
Michael Kmit ( uk, Михайло Кміт) (25 July 1910 in Stryi, Lviv – 22 May 1981 in Sydney, Australia) was a Ukrainian painter who spent twenty-five years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting ...
– Philopena (genre painting)
*1971 – James Meldrum
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
– Pyramid Shelf (subject painting)
*1972 – Peter Powditch
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
– Sun-torso 128 (Bunch) (genre painting)
*1973 – Eric Smith – The Painter Transmogrified and Mrs. Smith (subject painting)
*1974 – Keith Looby – Still Life and Comfy II
*1975 – (joint) Alan Oldfield
Alan may refer to:
People
*Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname
*Alan (given name), an English given name
**List of people with given name Alan
''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.''
*Al ...
Transvestite (for Diane Arbus)
*1975 – (joint) Geoffrey Proud – Untitled Jane
*1976 – Brett Whiteley – Interior with time past
*1977 – Salvatore Zofrea
Salvatore Zofrea OAM (born 1946) is an Italo-Australian artist and painter.Marlene Antico Fine Arts'Zofrea ExhibitionAccessed 06-20-2008
Life and work
Zofrea was born in Borgia Italy, on the 1st January 1946, and emigrated to Australia in 19 ...
- Woman's life, woman's love 3
*1978 – Brett Whiteley – Yellow Nude
*1979 – Salvatore Zofrea
Salvatore Zofrea OAM (born 1946) is an Italo-Australian artist and painter.Marlene Antico Fine Arts'Zofrea ExhibitionAccessed 06-20-2008
Life and work
Zofrea was born in Borgia Italy, on the 1st January 1946, and emigrated to Australia in 19 ...
– The water trap (subject painting)
*1980 – Brian Dunlop
Brian Dunlop (1938–2009) was a still life and figurative painter born in Sydney, Australia. He won the Sulman Prize in 1980 for ''The Old Physics Building (genre painting)''. He was a finalist in the 2004 Archibald Prize with ''Brian Kenna: ...
– The old physics building (genre painting)
*1981 – William Delafield Cook – ''A French family'' (subject painting)
*1982 – Salvatore Zofrea
Salvatore Zofrea OAM (born 1946) is an Italo-Australian artist and painter.Marlene Antico Fine Arts'Zofrea ExhibitionAccessed 06-20-2008
Life and work
Zofrea was born in Borgia Italy, on the 1st January 1946, and emigrated to Australia in 19 ...
– ''Psalm 24'' (genre)
*1984 – Tim Storrier – ''The Burn''
*1986 – Wendy Sharpe
Wendy Sharpe (born 1960 in Sydney) is an Australian artist who lives and works in Sydney and Paris. She is the only child of British parents and has a Russian Jewish heritage. Her father is the writer and historian Alan Sharpe. She counts a ...
– Black Sun – Morning and Night, Nigel Thomson
Nigel Thomson (1945–1999) was an Australian artist who won the Archibald Prize twice. Known for satirical paintings of Australian society. He studied at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney and later taught artistic composition at that i ...
– The State Institution
*1987 – Marcus Beilby – Crutching the Ewes, Bob Marchant
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
– The Grand Parade Sydney Show
*1988 – Bob Marchant
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
*Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
*Bob (surname) ...
– Catching rabbits and yabbies at 5-mile dam
*1989 – John Olsen
John Wayne Olsen, AO (born 7 June 1945) is a former Australian politician, diplomat and football commissioner. He was Premier of South Australia between 28 November 1996 and 22 October 2001. He is now President of the Federal Liberal Party, C ...
– Don Quixote Enters the Inn
*1990 – Robert Hollingworth
Robert Hollingworth is an Australian artist and writer.
Overview
Robert Hollingworth is an Australian artist and writer with an abiding interest in Australian history, environment, ecology, the natural sciences and nature in general. He now w ...
– Going Away/Looking Back
*1991/92 – Kevin Connor – Najaf (Iraq) June 1991
*1992/93 – John Montefiore
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
– Life Series
*1993/94 – Noel McKenna – Boy Dressed as Batman 2 (Diptych)
*1995 – Juli Haas
Juli may refer to:
* Juli (band), a rock/pop band from Germany
* "Juli", by Ryan Adams from the album '' Prisoner (B-Sides)''
* Juli District, one district of the province Chucuito in Puno Region, Peru
** , the capital of Juli District
* Juli (foo ...
– By the Banks of Her Own Lagoon
*1996 – Aida Tomescu
Aida Tomescu (born October 1955) is a Romanian and Australian contemporary artist who is known for her abstract paintings, collages, drawings and prints. Tomescu is a winner of the Dobell Prize for Drawing, the Wynne Prize for Landscape and th ...
– Grey-to-Grey
*1997 – Kevin Connor – The Man with itchy fingers and other figures Gare du Nord
*1998 – Robert Jacks – Changed into a weeping willow
*1999 – Anne Wallace
Anne Wallace (born 31 August 1970) is an Australian painter. Her works have appeared in major exhibitions and are held in major collections.
Early life and education
Wallace was born in Brisbane on 31 August 1970, growing up in suburban Kenmor ...
– Secret Paintings
*2000 – John Peart – Snailsnake
*2001 – Euan Macleod
Euan Macleod (born 1956) is a New Zealand-born artist. Macleod was born in Christchurch, New Zealand and moved to Sydney, Australia in 1981, where he lives and works. He received a Certificate in Graphic Design from Christchurch Technical Coll ...
– Exquisite Corpse with Fire, Highly commended: Elisabeth Cummings Harbour Light
*2002 – Guan Wei
Guan may refer to:
* Guan (surname), several similar Chinese surnames
** Guān, Chinese surname
* Guan (state), ancient Chinese city-state
* Guan (bird), any of a number of bird species of the family Cracidae, of South and Central America
* Guan ( ...
– Gazing into deep space no. 9
*2003 – Eric Smith – Reflection
*2004 – Allan Mitelman
Allan Mitelman (6 August 1946, Poland) is an Australian painter, printmaker and art teacher who arrived in Australia in 1953.
Biography
Allan Mitelman was brought to Australia from Poland as a child in 1953. He and photographer Jacqueline Mitel ...
– Untitled
*2005 – Sandro Nocentini
Sandro Nocentini (born 1966) is an Italian artist, living and working in Australia. He is a figurative painter, whose work has been described as "cubist-futurist". He was awarded the Sir John Sulman Prize for Painting in 2005.
Life and work
Sa ...
– :File:SandroNocentini MySonHasTwoMothers2005.jpg#filelinks
*2006 – Jiawei Shen – Peking treaty 1901
*2007 – David Disher – Axis of Elvis
*2008 – Rodney Pople
Rodney Pople (born 6 September 1952) is an Australian visual artist.
Pople was born in Launceston, Tasmania. His works have been the cause of some controversy. Pople studied photography in Tasmania, and sculpture at Slade School of Fine Art, L ...
– Stage fright
*2009 – Ivan Durrant
Ivan Durrant is an Australian painter, performance artist and writer. Known for creating art with "great shock value", such as the 1975 "Slaughtered Cow Happening" outside the National Gallery of Victoria, Durrant is often described as the ''e ...
– ANZAC Day Match
*2010 – Michael Lindeman
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
– Paintings, prints & wall hangings
*2011 – Peter Smeeth
Peter may refer to:
People
* List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Peter (given name)
** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church
* Peter (surname), a sur ...
– The artist's fate
*2012 – Nigel Milsom – ''Judo House pt 4 (Golden mud)''
*2013 – Victoria Reichelt
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
– ''After (books)''
*2014 – Andrew Sullivan – ''T-rex (tyrant lizard king)''
*2015 – Jason Phu – ''I was at yum cha when in rolled the three severed heads of Buddha: fear, malice and death''
*2016 – Esther Stewart
Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen t ...
– ''Flatland dreaming''
*2017 – Joan Ross
Joan Ross (born Glasgow) is an Australian artist based in Sydney who works across a range of mediums including drawing, painting, installations, sculpture and video. Her work investigates the legacy of colonialism in Australia, particularly the e ...
– ''Oh history, you lied to me''
*2018 – Kaylene Whiskey – ''Kaylene TV''
*2020 – Marikit Santiago
Marikit Santiago (born 1985) is a Filipina-Australian artist and winner of the 2020 Sir John Sulman Prize.
Santiago was born in Melbourne in 1985. She studied at the University of New South Wales, initially graduating with a Bachelor of Medical ...
– ''The divine''
*2021 – Georgia Spain – ''Getting down or falling up''
*2022 – Clare Healey Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
and Sean Cordeiro
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angliciz ...
– ''Raiko and Shuten-dōji''
Notes and references
External links
Art Gallery of New South Wales
– Sir John Sulman Prize
* Lionel Hornibrook Jago – Sulman Prize finalist
{{Authority control
Australian art awards
Awards established in 1936
1936 establishments in Australia