W B McInnes Miss Collins

WB McInnes created a stir when he took out the 1924 Archibald Prize with this portrait – not because it was one of five works by him in a field of just 40 entries or his fourth consecutive win, but because of his subject.

Gladys Neville Collins (1890–1960) was the daughter of Joseph Thomas Collins, a lawyer and state parliamentary draughtsman and trustee of the Public Library, Museums and National Gallery of Victoria. She had appeared in George Lambert’s The white glove 1921 (not an Archibald work) – a portrait that was admired by art connoisseurs; McInnes acknowledges the painting in this portrait’s composition. However, Archibald commentators were in uproar about whether the Melbourne socialite was ‘distinguished’, an attribute mentioned in the prize’s entry terms. Literary critic Alfred Stephens, writing from Perth, deemed the award conditions had not been met: ‘A portrait of Tom, Dick or Mary Anne is less valuable to Australia than a portrait of a person who has given distinguished service to national life’.

The work is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia.