Is a portrait of an artist a ‘safe’ winner for this city’s favourite art prize?

The judge’s decision may be final but that’s never the end of the discussion when it comes to the Brisbane Portrait Prize.

There was $88,000 in prize money up for grabs for the 2024 winners, led by Imogen Corbett with her portrait of fellow artist and muse Natalya Hughes.

The oil on canvas portrait, The Artist’s Studio, took home the highly coveted $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Prize. It’s a nice painting but, critically speaking, you would have to say it’s a rather safe choice.

And there will be the usual controversy over that choice because portrait prizes are all about controversy and there is already muttering about the winners and who should really have won.

The fact that people care is a good sign, though, for a portrait prize that now compares favourably with the iconic Archibald Prize. Having seen this year’s Archibald exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales I can report that Brisbane Portrait Prize is now giving it a good run for its money and looks stunning in its new home, the State Library of Queensland, where the finalists exhibition is on display until November 10.

The chief judge this year was director of Canberra’s National Portrait Gallery (and Noosa gal) Bree Pickering, who says Corbett’s painting was a joyful, approachable and well-executed work and a commentary on ideas of femininity and work.

“Close looking reveals the dualities present in this portrait,” Pickering says. “The room appears intimate and domestic but it’s the artist’s studio – her workplace – so the painting raises questions about where work is done, what is work and what’s domestic.

“Beautifully composed, it also celebrates ‘prettiness’ in the colour, patterns and texture of the fabrics, but the subject is central and has a commanding expression – a gaze that is both inviting and piercing. Softness and strength are reflected together.

“The work speaks to the relationship between the artist and sitter, of scholar-teacher. It’s a portrait of respect and the generative exchange of ideas between artists, which connects to a long history of portraiture and art making in which artists grow and work together.”

Corbett described winning as “unexpected”.

“To win this award is a great vote of confidence in my practice and I am very grateful,” Corbett says. “I’ve been painting since I was 13. It’s my biggest love. I visited Natalya at her studio twice – the first time to discuss ideas and location and the second time to paint her.

“During this experience I also got to go through her wardrobe. I had this purple colour in mind for the artwork and the first dress I saw in the closet was the one I ended up painting her in. It was the colour I imagined, so it felt very weird but right.

“The money will enable me to make more ambitious projects, work larger and upskill myself. It will also support me with my studio expenses and be a good launch pad for my career, which is wonderful. To other young artists thinking of entering the prize, I would say don’t limit yourself because we have a really vibrant portrait community and there is so much support within it if you seek it out.”

Brisbane Portrait Prize chair Anna Reynolds says she was thrilled with the winning works.

“The entries and winners this year speak to a sophistication and maturation of talent,” Reynolds says. “We are so lucky to have such breadth and depth in the artistic community based here in Brisbane. I’d like to congratulate all the winners, all the finalists and every single artist who was brave enough to enter. You are all a big part of our artistic community.”

Other category winners include: Dennis McCart – Digital Prize, Stevie O’Chin – Performing Arts and Music Award, Bill Platz – Packer’s Prize, Michelle Vine – Sylvia Jones Prize for Women Artists, James Randall – Metro Arts Experimental Portraiture Prize, Seth Green – Next Gen Prize (for artists 18 and under) Hamish Wilson – Emerging Artist, and Sarsha Markovic – Emerging Artist.

There are some great portraits to see this year including Jamie van Leeuwen’s cracking portrait of Wally (“all hail the Emperor of Lang Park”) Lewis called The King’s Battle and Christopher McVinish’s portrait of philanthropist Tim Fairfax, a fitting tribute. Stephen Nothling’s self-portrait in armour is a cracker.

Really, there are just so many great portraits on display. As far as the winners go, my favourite was emerging artist Hamish Wilson’s cracking painting Afloat, which made me think of Francis Bacon – and that can’t be a bad thing.

Brisbane Portrait Prize 2024 will be on show at the State Library of Queensland until November 10.

brisbaneportraitprize.org