LOCAL legendary chef Annie Smithers has been immortalised in an Archibald Prize portraiture now selected as a finalist for the prestigious award.
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Smithers, who owns and runs Trentham’s du Fermier, a French farmhouse-style restaurant, now has her likeness hanging at the Art Gallery of NSW, alongside with the 50 other finalists.
The Archibald Prize is the country’s preeminent portraiture award and focuses on distinguished and accomplished, typically high-profile Australians.
Smithers’ likeness was captured by Kyneton artist Daniel Butterworth. The Art Gallery of NSW announced the Archibald finalists last week, with Butterworth’s striking large-scale work making the grade.
Smithers began her career by serving an apprenticeship with Stephanie Alexander, before working across many of Melbourne and regional Victoria’s top establishments and was head chef at Daylesford’s iconic Lake House restaurant in the early 1990s.
She opened her own restaurant, Annie Smithers Bistrot, in Kyneton in 2005. In 2010, she moved to Trentham.
Since returning from Sydney alongside Butterworth for last week’s announcement, Smithers said posing for an Archibald portrait had been an incredible experience.
“Being asked to sit for someone’s Archibald entry is a huge honour. It’s an extraordinary honour,” she said.
She said Butterworth had approached her via du Fermier’s restaurant email.
“Once he’d asked me, he came around to the house and we had a long discussions about who each of us were and that’s where we came up with the idea of what capacity to paint me,” Smithers said.
“I’d had a good look at his work online. I thought he had a bit of larrikin in him and I have a bit of larrikin in me. Hence we decided how and why. When I saw the final result I was completely blown away by it.”
Butterworth then created his masterpiece using acrylic on board.
The Archibald Prize finalists and winners exhibition will be hosted this year by the Art Gallery of Ballarat from October 14 to November 27.
This year’s collection also includes portraits of high-profile Australians Barry Humphries, George Calombaris and Ken Done.
Tickets have just gone on sale and are available at www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au
