Margaret Olley

Margaret Hannah Olley AC was an Australian painter who was the subject of more than 90 solo exhibitions. She was born in Lismore, N.S.W. Her work concentrated on still life. In 1997 a major retrospective of her work was organized by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She received the inaugural Mosman Art Prize in 1947. Olley was twice the subject of an Archibald Prize winning painting; the first by William Dobell in 1948 and the other by Ben Quilty in 2011. She was also the subject of paintings by many of her artist friends, including Russell Drysdale. On 10 June 1991, in the Queens Birthday Honours list, Olley was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service as an artist and to the promotion of art. On 13 July 2006 she donated more works to the Art Gallery of New South Wales; her donations included more than 130 works worth $7 million.