Portrait of Guy Pearce wins 2018 Archibald Prize ANZ People`s Choice award
(Artdaily.org)

First time finalist in the Archibald Prize Anne Middleton has taken out the 2018 ANZ People’s Choice award with her portrait of Australian actor, Guy Pearce. The Melbourne artist’s portrait Guy is her first venture into large-scale portraiture. Middleton said she was intrigued by the depth of emotion in Pearce’s face and wanted to take on the challenge of painting him. “The entire process of painting this portrait was both daunting and exciting. Guy and I talked about the qualities of tin-type photography and discussed how we could capture a similar sensation of peering into his soul. The scale of the painting was liberating, and I could paint loosely and expressively despite the level of detail.” Pearce visited Middleton’s studio to sit for the portrait on weekends while filming in Melbourne. Middleton drew upon her knowledge of European oil painting techniques from the 17th