Archibald Prize 2012 portraits

• Marcus Callum Self-portrait

• Ben Quilty Captain S after Afghanistan

• Martin Sharp The thousand dollar bill

Collection connections

• Roy de Maistre Mrs Victor White c1938

• Ralph Balson Portrait of Grace Crowley 1939

• Yves Klein Portrait relief PR3 (portrait of Claude Pascal) 1962

Questions and activities

• List the colours you can see in each of the portraits. Categorise them into types and consider their relationship with each other (eg primary, secondary, harmonious and complementary colours).

• Which colours seem to come forward or to recede? How do these colours make you feel? How do you think the person in each painting is feeling?

• Discuss how the manipulation of colour plays a vital role in the success of these portraits. Would you read these portraits differently if they were in black and white?