Lewis Miller My dentist - Dr Jonathan Hartley

Dr Jonathan Hartley is Lewis Miller’s dentist and was, at one time, the dentist for Collingwood Football Club. An avid art collector for well over 30 years, he has supported artists by assisting them with their teeth. ‘He is well known in painting and sculpture circles in Melbourne and Sydney,’ says Miller. ‘He has certainly helped me.

‘Years ago he had a portrait made by John Dent wearing a white fur coat, which was hung in the Archibald,’ says Miller. ‘He has it in his house now. I knew about that coat before I’d ever met him. Then I saw him in the members stand at the MCG wearing a mink coat and I thought, “Who’s that idiot?”’

Having met Hartley and found him a fascinating, gregarious fellow, Miller thought that it would be interesting to paint him again for the Archibald in a fur coat. The portrait was painted in Miller’s studio and green linoleum is on the floor. ‘He’s standing on a wooden dais.’

Born in Melbourne in 1959, Miller studied at the Victorian College of the Arts. He has been hung in 12 previous Archibalds, winning in 1998 with a portrait of artist Allan Mitelman. He also won the Art Gallery of NSW’s Sporting Portrait Prize, held in conjunction with the 2000 Archibald, for a portrait of Australian rules football player and coach Ron Barassi.