William Dobell

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William Dobell (1899–1970) was an Australian painter known for portraits and landscapes. He was born in Cooks Hill, Newcastle, NSW, and showed talent early. He trained as a draftsman, studied art in Sydney and at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, and spent time in Europe, where his style became more expressive.

Back in Australia, Dobell taught and painted. During World War II he worked as a camouflage painter and later as an unofficial war artist. In 1943 he won the Archibald Prize for his portrait of Joshua Smith, a win that sparked a famous legal case but was upheld. He won the Archibald again in 1948 and 1959, and the Wynne Prize in 1948. He painted many landscapes, including scenes from New Guinea. A major retrospective of his work was held in 1964. He died in 1970 at Wangi Wangi, NSW. His legacy includes the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation and the Dobell Drawing Prize, named in his honour.