'She didn't care what anybody thought': Margaret Olley in five paintings

Margaret Olley, one of Australia's most revered painters, graduated from the National Art School in 1945 with first-class honors. Within two years, she won the first-ever Mosman Art Prize and became part of Sydney's post-war art scene alongside artists such as William Dobell, Sidney Nolan, and Donald Friend. Over her lifetime, she held more than 90 solo exhibitions, influenced other artists, and established a trust to purchase paintings for public galleries. Two times, her work was awarded the Archibald Prize for portraiture.

Now, her life and work are celebrated in a retrospective exhibition titled "Australia Intimiste" at her former school. The title refers to the late 19th-century art movement where artists like Pierre Bonnard and Édouard Vuillard painted intimate, domestic scenes. Olley was inspired by such scenes and found solace in her own image, which she painted numerous times, expressing her interior world.

One of her earliest works, "Portrait in the mirror," painted at 25, marked a turning point in her career. It shows her establishing herself and recognizing the need for a space to create her own work. Another notable painting, "Spare bedroom," depicts a simple yet richly textured interior, emphasizing presence amidst absence. This painting resonates with the idea of intimate interiors, a style that was not typically found in the contemporary art scene at the time.

Despite this, Olley persisted in her unique style, never worrying about what others thought of her work.