Ledger Portrait Wins Australian Prize
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A portrait of Hollywood star Heath Ledger painted weeks before his death has won an Australian art award.
The painting features a bare-chested Ledger staring from the canvas as two images of the actor whisper into his ears.
On Thursday, it was awarded a secondary prize by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in its annual national portrait competition. Sydney artist Del Kathryn Barton won first prize with her self-portrait.
“Heath” by Vincent Fantauzzo was the popular choice among the 32,000 who saw the exhibition.
Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January. He was 28.
