The artist William Beckwith McInnes was a paragon of early 20th century Australian art, and the seven-time winner of the renowned Archibald Prize. An Artist’s Life is the first time his full story is being told.

Winner of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' first four Archibald Prizes (1922 to 1925) - and several more thereafter - William Beckwith McInnes became the country's most sought-after portrait painter with official commissions to paint war heroes, prime ministers, lord mayors and other notables. In 1927 he was commissioned to paint the opening of Canberra's new Parliament House and 1933 saw him in London painting The Duke of York who was soon to take the throne.

An active member of the arts community, he participated in painting trips with well known fellow artists and kept abreast of new galleries and arts associations at a time when some knowledge of European Modernism was beginning to infiltrate the local culture.

With 'movie-star' looks and a kind and generous personality his story, which is not without tragedy, is now told in this important publication which hopefully sheds some new light on an occasionally misunderstood period of Australian art history.

Author: Margot Tasca
Hardback
232 pages
33.8 x 25.3cm