William Robinson AO, one of Australia's most celebrated painters and a two-time winner of the prestigious Archibald Prize, has died in Brisbane at the age of 89 following a brief illness. Robinson, who was widely regarded as among Australia's greatest living artists, passed away at Wesley Hospital in Auchenflower, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that redefined Australian landscape painting.
Born in Brisbane in 1936 and raised in Fairfield on the city's south side, Robinson attended Brisbane State High School and Brisbane Central Technical College before embarking on a career that would establish him as one of the nation's most important artistic voices. He taught art full-time until 1989, after which he dedicated himself entirely to painting, a decision that would prove transformative for Australian art.
Robinson achieved national recognition by winning the Archibald Prize twice – first in 1987 for his "Equestrian Self Portrait" and again in 1995 for "Self Portrait with Stunned Mullet." These works, noted for their humor and technical brilliance, cemented his reputation as both a masterful painter and an artist with a distinctive sense of wit. His achievements were formally recognized in 2007 when he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.
The artist's work is held in all major Australian public art museums, as well as internationally prestigious institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London. Robinson holds the rare distinction of being one of the few Australian artists to have an entire gallery dedicated to their work – the William Robinson Gallery at Queensland University of Technology, which serves as a testament to his enduring influence on Australian art.
Philip Bacon, whose gallery in Fortitude Valley hosted Robinson's final exhibition in July, opened by former governor Quentin Bryce, described the artist's unique vision of the Australian landscape. "Robinson redefined the landscape, particularly in the subtropics," Bacon explained. "The great towering gums reminded him of the columns in Gothic cathedrals, and he wanted to try and capture that." Bacon particularly admired Robinson's sense of humor, noting that "the two Archibald Prize winners, they're hilarious pictures."
Vanessa Van Ooyen, director of the William Robinson Gallery, spoke fondly of the artist's enduring appeal and technical mastery. "It doesn't matter how many times I've looked at an artwork of his, I find something in it," she said. "I've always kind of approached Bill's work as an exercise in slow looking." In the catalog for the gallery's upcoming show "Reflections," Van Ooyen writes that Robinson "records the precise moment when observation becomes participation, when the boundary between observer and observed begins to blur."
Writer Evan Hughes, son of late Sydney art dealer Ray Hughes, emphasized Robinson's exceptional talent and enduring significance. "William Robinson has been in and out of fashion and yet his talent as one of the finest oil painters and most whimsical and thoughtful draughtsmen of the last 40 years is undisputed," Hughes said. "Robinson is one of the greats." His father had considered Robinson the best Australian painter he had ever worked with.
Robinson's market value reflected his artistic significance, with works like "Sunshowers and Flood Gums" from 1993 selling for $440,000 in 2022. His paintings, particularly his landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, captured the unique character of the Australian environment with a distinctive style that combined technical precision with emotional depth.
Philip Bacon revealed the poignant timing of Robinson's death, noting that he had been discussing the artist in Sydney on the very night he passed away. "Somebody said to me, who do you reckon is the greatest living Australian artist? I said, 'Oh, Bill Robinson, definitely,'" Bacon recalled. The art dealer placed Robinson among Australia's artistic elite, comparing him to other legendary figures including Margaret Olley, Jeffrey Smart, and Arthur Boyd, calling him "a national treasure and one of our greatest artists."
