A new portrait of Australia’s richest woman has taken the internet by storm, and the subject of the painting is so unhappy with the likeness she’s asked for it to be taken down
A portrait of Australia’s wealthiest woman has left people in stitches.
The painting of mining tycoon Gina Rinehart by artist Vincent Namatjira has sparked quite the conversation. Despite the artist’s attempt to capture the essence of Rinehart, the reception hasn’t been as expected.
Rinehart has since requested the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) to remove her portrait, one of 21 individual pieces featuring in Namatjira’s exhibition “Australia in Colour”.
The exhibition has been open since March, but this particular piece has drawn attention more recently. A photo of the artwork was posted to Reddit with the caption: “The National Gallery of Australia decided to honour the country’s wealthiest woman with a portrait.”
And fellow users were quick to comment on the bizarre likeness. One wrote: “Lol if she didn’t complain we wouldn’t have even heard about it.” Another chimed in with: “All I will ever know in my life about this woman is that she has an ugly painting of her hanging somewhere.”
A third suggested: “She should have just quietly tried to buy it.” Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “That shouldn’t be in the National Gallery – it should be on a postage stamp so everyone can see it.”
Others admitted they had never heard of Rinehart until the painting went viral.
In a statement, Namatjira said he paints “people who are wealthy, powerful, or significant people who have had an influence on this country, and on me personally, whether directly or indirectly, whether for good or for bad.”
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) also issued a statement to CNN, saying it “welcomes the public having a dialogue on our collection and displays.”
The gallery’s statement added: “Since 1973, when the National Gallery acquired Jackson Pollocks’ Blue Poles, there has been a dynamic discussion on the artistic merits of works in the national collection, and/or on display at the Gallery. We present works of art to the Australian public to inspire people to explore, experience and learn about art.”
The collection also features a host of other famous figures, including the late Queen Elizabeth II, rock legend Jimi Hendrix, Aboriginal rights champion Vincent Lingiari and ex-Australian PM Scott Morrison.
Rinehart is understood to be worth a staggering $30.2 billion USD (£23,985,300,000.00). Forbes notes that she has “remained unshakeable”, and earlier this year, she topped the publication’s Australia’s 50 Richest list.
