Clifton Ernest PUGH
1924–1990, Australia

Clifton Ernest Pugh, was born on the 17th December, 1924 in Richmond, Victoria. In 1942, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces becoming a draughtsman for the Infantry Intelligence. On returning to Australia, he attended the National Gallery of Victoria Art School from 1947 to 1949 under the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Training Scheme. In 1951 he bought a tract of bush near Cottles Bridge, about 30 miles outside of Melbourne, which he named “Dunmoochin’. Here he was greatly inspired by the natural environment. As Pugh acquired more land, other artists came and joined him and in 1953 they became the Dunmoochin Artists Society. Pugh’s first solo show was in 1957 at the Victorian Artists Society Gallery, where he displayed both landscape and portraiture. The show was well received by critics. Pugh had become known for both his landscapes and portraiture, winning the Archibald in 1965 for a portrait of R.A.G Henderson and in 1971 for Sir John McEwan. He played a significant role in the development of the Australian Labor Party’s arts policy, and in 1972 won the Archibald Prize with a portrait of Gough Whitlam. At the 75th Anniversary of the landing Gallipoli (1990), Pugh was named the Australian War Memorial’s official artist. Pugh died in October, 1990, having set up the Dunmoochin Foundation the year before, to preserve the bushland and enable other artists to use the studios in future. 1965 Archibald Prize, 1971 Archibald Prize, 1972 Archibald Prize, 1985 Order of Australia His works have been included in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra and all state gallery collections, numerous Australian university collections, regional galleries, public and private collections.

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