Kerry’s Visit to Heath at the ArchibaldA Photo-Essay
I make the short five-minute drive from my home and park in Goulburn Street, at the southern end of Sydney’s Central Business District. I walk northward up the Elizabeth Street hill and enter Hyde Park at the corner of Elizabeth & Liverpool Streets.
I walk northward along Hyde Park’s central avenue, bordered by towering Moreton Bay fig trees.
I come to the Archibald Fountain, named after the same Jules Francois (John Feltham) Archibald, after whom the Archibald Prize is also named. I’ve loved this fountain since childhood, with its beautiful statues inspired by classical mythology. This photo shows Apollo with his lyre and Diana with her bow.
One of my favourite sculptures comprising the Archibald Fountain’s statuary is this dramatic depiction of Theseus slaying the Minotaur. St Mary’s Cathedral can be seen in the background.
I exit Hyde Park, cross College Street, pass by St Mary’s Cathedral and enter the Domain, with its impeccably manicured gardens, via Art Gallery Road. A statue of Robbie Burns can be seen on the right (scroll over --->).
As I follow the gentle curve of Art Gallery Road, I eventually glimpse the Art Gallery of New South Wales through the trees in the near distance. The grand, neo-classical, western portico, with its towering Ionic columns, is clearly visible in this photo. If I were to continue walking along Art Gallery Road, I would, in time, come to the highly ornate entrance gates leading to the Royal Botanical Gardens and Sydney Harbour.
The gallery’s entrance is flanked by two enormous equestrian statues, also much loved by me since childhood. This one is titled, “The Offerings of War.” To give you an idea of their size, I am just under 6ft in height and the top of my head comes to that horse’s hoof!
And so, I climb the steps and enter the gallery’s main vestibule.
Once inside, I am advised by an attendant that I am unable to take photo’s of the paintings in the Archibald exhibition. The reason given is that, “The paintings in the Archibald exhibition are owned by each individual artist, not by the gallery.” I must appear disappointed, because the attendant seems to take sympathy on me and adds, “You can take photo’s anywhere else in the public areas of the gallery, just not in the Archibald exhibition, but please don’t use flash.” I’m not really disappointed because I already have a beautiful copy of the painting I’ve come to see, thanks to the Internet. In fact, I have copies of all the paintings in the Archibald exhibition, which I am happy to share with you, via the official Art Gallery of NSW website:
http://www.thearchibaldprize.com.au/finalists/archibald
After an enjoyable couple of hours of escapism, I leave the gallery and walk back along Art Gallery Road, from whence I came; back, alas, to the world of cold hard reality.
And so, back through the Domain’s great southern gates, and I’ll soon be back at my car and home again, after a most enjoyable visit to “Heath” (the portrait by Vincent Fantauzzo) at the Archibald.
Thank you, Mr Archibald!
The End 
