Figure Drawing: 1901-2022

National Gallery of Australia

Figure drawing: 1901-2022 is a compelling journey through over a century of artistic engagement with the human form through this universal medium.

This collection display reveals how sketching the figure has remained a vital means of expression, reflection and exploration over more than a century of artistic production. Figure drawing is presented not as a merely technical exercise but instead a dynamic form of thinking-one that allows artists to probe the complexities of identity, memory and emotion. Viewers are invited to consider how the act of drawing connects hand, eye and mind, and how artists have returned to the figure to navigate changing social, cultural and personal landscapes.

The exhibition showcases unique works on paper by Australian and international artists. Highlights include early 20th-century drawings focused on anatomical precision and classical technique, mid-century modernist experiments with abstraction and form and contemporary works that challenge traditional notions of gender, body and self. Each work reveals a distinct artistic approach to the figure-whether intimate, emotional or conceptual.

Through these varied perspectives, Figure drawing: 1901-2022 underscores the enduring relevance of the human body in art and the expressive possibilities of drawing itself.

Collection Display
3 Oct 2026 - 7 Feb 2027
Level 1, Gallery 14
Free

'The whole of art is nothing more than a secret homage to drawing.'
Gustav Klimt


Time: 10am - 5pm daily



 National Gallery of Australia View Venue
 Parkes Place Canberra A.C.T. 2600 Map

→ nga.gov.au

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