An Australian painter, Jane Allan, is facing accusations that her winning submission to the $20,000 Doyles art award last year is an imitation of a work by acclaimed artist Nicholas Harding. The controversy has also brought scrutiny to her 2022 Darling portrait prize finalist, which the National Portrait Gallery acknowledged was 'clearly influenced' by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Allegations of Imitation in Doyles Art Award
Nearly a year after Allan won the Doyles landscape painting category for 'Seaside Explorers', the prize committee released a statement last week stating the work appeared to be 'an imitation' of Harding's 2011 piece 'Two Estuary Figures'. Both paintings depict two figures on a beach, one bending down and the other turned away, using impasto technique with similar brushstroke patterns. The Harding work is 20 x 25 cm, while Allan's is significantly larger at 120 x 90 cm.
The committee, which is entirely voluntary, said in a Facebook post: 'Never did we expect a threat from within our own art community. It appears as though one of last years winning works is an imitation of a Nicholas Harding artwork.' They added: 'There's questions around how this happened, how no one noticed for a full year and more. Of course there's anger, it goes against everything we stand for.'
Basquiat Influence in Darling Prize Entry
Allan's painting 'Weight of the Mind's Periapt', a finalist in the prestigious Darling portrait prize in 2022 and winner of the $2,000 Art Handler's award, shows marked similarities to Basquiat's 1982 work 'Untitled (Two Heads on Gold)'. Both feature robot-like figures with spiky hair, upside-down T noses, white-outlined features, and spindly arms. The National Portrait Gallery spokesperson said art handlers had 'noted that the artist was clearly influenced by Jean-Michel Basquiat' at the time of the prize.
Allan's artist notes described the work as a portrait of her 'inspirational primary carer, Warren', who cared for her after a spinal cord injury. The Guardian was unable to reach Allan for comment.
Legal and Prize Committee Actions
Gold Coast councillor Glenn Tozer told the ABC that the Doyles prize committee had been in contact with Allan and lawyers were discussing possible recovery of the prize money. The committee said it was 'taking this seriously' and would investigate ways to make the judging process more robust. The National Portrait Gallery declined further comment but noted it regularly reviews prize terms, requiring artists to declare original artwork.
Harding, a nine-time Wynne prize finalist and Archibald prize winner, died in 2022. Basquiat, a neo-expressionist artist exploring identity, race, and power, died in 1988.
