Archibald Finalist (1988)
Historical Context (1988)The portrait was painted during a highly secretive and intense period for the couple. In 1982, d'Alpuget had written a groundbreaking, award-winning biography of Hawke, but they had paused their secret love affair so he could focus on the prime ministership. However, in November 1988, the pair secretly restarted their affair. Looby’s painting subtly reflects their deeply intertwined lives at a time when Hawke was still publicly married to his first wife, Hazel. Hawke and d'Alpuget would eventually marry years later, in 1995.
