The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch)
| The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch) | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Tim Storrier |
| Year | 2012 |
| Type | acrylic on canvas |
| Dimensions | 183 cm × 122 cm (72 in × 48 in) |
The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch) is a 2012 painting by the Australian Tim Storrier. Inspired by the painting The Wayfarer by Hieronymus Bosch, it portrays a walking man with no face who carries various objects and a dog. According to Storrier, it is a self-portrait. It received the 2012 Archibald Prize.
Description
The painting shows a man with no visible head who walks in a barren landscape. He wears explorer's clothes consisting of boots, a light suit and a pith helmet. He wears glasses and carries various objects in bags, pockets and an over-stuffed backback. Although the figure has no face, Storrier says it is a self-portrait, revealed by the clothes and equipment. The figure carries Storrier's dog Smudge and there is a paper with a drawing of Storrier's face that blows in the wind.[1] Storrier describes it as a depiction of the artist's burdensome journey, showing himself "clothed in the tools to sustain the intrigue of a metaphysical survey".[2]
Storrier says the origin of the painting was a desire use Hieronymus Bosch's The Wayfarer from circa 1510 as a reference. His starting point was its subject of a pilgrim making a choice between good and evil. It then evolved into a self-portrait.[1][3]
Reception
The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch) received the 2012 Archibald Prize for portraiture.[4][5] It was the second year in a row that Storrier competed for the prize with a faceless self-portrait. He thanked his dog in his acceptance speech, saying: "I suppose you can say I have won with a portrait of a dog".[1][6]
Legacy
Storrier made a life-size bronze sculpture based on the painting which stands at the campus of Bond University.[7]
Versions of the wayfarer character appear in several later Storrier paintings, such as Speed Dauber and The Dauber (rushing).[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Faceless portrait wins Archibald". ABC News. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ McDonald, Patrick (30 March 2012). "Tim Storrier's portrait The Historic Wayfarer (after Bosch) takes 2012 Archibald Prize". The Advertiser. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Video: Artist explains inspiration for faceless self-portrait". ABC News. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Man with no face the top portrait". The Australian. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ Stewart, Claire (31 March 2012). "Tim Storrier wins Archibald prize". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Artist's dog steals Archibald limelight". The Australian. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Storrier family graduates from art to commerce". Bond University. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ Brown, Phil (18 September 2025). "The wayfarer's touch: Mystery, majesty and the mighty pelican". InDaily Queensland. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
Further reading
- "A Smudge to be stuffed and immortalised forever". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- "Tim Storrier: in defence of old, white male art". The Australian. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.