Dobell Trial Court Sketch

Description

Court sketch for a newspaper depicting the trial of William Dobel, recipient of the Archibald Prize in 1944. Following the conclusion of World War II, the people of Australia were engrossed by a four-day trial before the Supreme Court involving the award of the Archibald Prize to Dobell. Two finalists, Mary Edwards and Joseph Wolinski challenged the decision on the grounds that the portrait of Joshua Smith was not a portrait, but a caricature. The trial before Justice Roper featured two of the most talented barristers of the day, Garfield Barwick and Frank Kitto, both of whom became High Court judges. The Court upheld the decision of the Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, but the intense public scrutiny and pressure of the trial took an immense personal toll on Dobell.

Identification

Artist

Unknown artist

Medium

Ink on paper

Date

1944

Collection

Drawrings & Lithographs