Sydney-born artist Tim Storrier has won this year’s Archibald Prize for his painting "The histrionic wayfarer (after Bosch)."

The self portrait features a figure clothed in a multitude of art materials with an invisible face. Tim Storrier explained that the work “refers to a painting by Hieronymus Bosch called The wayfarer painted in 1510 where the figure is believed to be choosing a path or possibly the prodigal son returning.”

Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales selected Storrier’s self portrait from the 839 entries submitted in the 91st edition of the famous prize.

Additional winners from this year’s event include Imants Tillers, who was the recipient of this year’s Wynne Prize for "Waterfall (after Williams)," Nigel Milsom, who won the Sulman Prize for "Judo House pt 4 (Golden mud)," and Susan J. White, who received the Watercolour Prize (part of the Wynne Prize) for her work "Salamander Bay."

The Archibald Prize is one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious art awards. Since its inception in 1921 the prize has been awarded to some of Australia's most important artists, including George Lambert, William Dobell and Brett Whiteley. In 2012 the prize money increased from $50,000 to $75,000.

An exhibition to showcase Archibald, Wynne & Sulman Prize entries from 2012 is on show at the Art Gallery of NSW until June 3. Landscape paintings in oil or watercolor and figure sculptures submitted for the Wynne Prize will also be on display alongside genre paintings, subject paintings and mural projects entered in the Sir John Sulman Prize.

The exhibition will then embark on a regional tour from June 10 to April 28 stopping at the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, the Newcastle Region Art Gallery, the Cowra Regional Art Gallery, Western Plains Cultural Centre, the Grafton Regional Gallery, the Hawkesbury Regional Gallery and the New England Regional Gallery.

http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/archibald-wynne-sulman-prizes-2012/