Dargie, Sir William (1912-2003), an Australian artist known for his realistic portraits, won the Archibald Prize for portraits eight times. The Australian government commissioned him to paint several portraits, including that of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1954. Dargie wrote On Painting a Portrait (1957).
William Alexander Dargie was born on June 4, 1912, in Melbourne. He trained as a schoolteacher. He became a full-time painter in 1936. During World War II (1939-1945), Dargie served as an official war artist with the Australian military forces. He directed the art school of the National Gallery of Victoria from 1946 to 1953. Dargie was knighted in 1970. He died on July 26, 2003.
