Clifton Pugh AO (1924–1990) was an Australian painter and printmaker known for expressive portraits, bush landscapes and wildlife subjects. A three-time Archibald Prize winner, he combined close observation of nature with an energetic, figurative style.
Early life, art school and influences
Born in Richmond, Melbourne, in 1924, Pugh took evening classes in cartoon drawing at Swinburne Technical College in 1940 and life drawing in Adelaide in 1942. After wartime service, he studied at the National Gallery School of Victoria from 1948 to 1952, training under William Dargie.
Dargie provided a grounding in tonal painting, while Wassily Kandinsky and Expressionism helped shape Pugh’s more personal approach. In Paris in 1970, he studied etching with Stanley William Hayter.
Dunmoochin and his subjects
Pugh’s home at Dunmoochin, near Cottles Bridge, placed the Australian bush at the centre of his life and work. Birds, animals and the relationships between living things recur in his art. His portraits similarly sought character and personality through expressive handling of paint.
Exhibitions and recognition
His first major solo exhibition was held at the Victorian Artists’ Society in 1957. He joined the Antipodeans in 1959, alongside artists including Arthur Boyd, John Brack and Charles Blackman.
His international exposure included London’s Whitechapel Gallery in 1961 and Tate Gallery in 1963, a solo exhibition in St Louis in 1966 and a London retrospective in 1970. He won the Archibald Prize in 1965, 1971 and 1972 and was appointed AO in 1985.
Paintings, drawings and original prints
Pugh worked across painting, drawing and printmaking. His works are represented in Australian public collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria and National Gallery of Australia.
The framed example illustrated here is Flight of Birds, a 1978 colour lithograph printed by Druckma Press for the Bodford Terrace Folio. This impression is numbered 182/300. It is an editioned print, distinct from a unique painting or a later reproduction of one.
Clifton Pugh signature example
The close-up shows the pencil Clifton signature at the lower right of the illustrated lithograph. The edition number appears at the lower left, and the embossed dp mark identifies the Druckma Press workshop.
Pugh also used Clifton signatures on paintings, as documented in NGV collection records. Compare signatures with examples of similar date and medium, considering letter forms, materials and surrounding marks together. One photograph is a comparison aid, not a universal template or authentication certificate.
Signature on an original gouache, 1984
This detail from the previously sold Untitled Landscape gouache shows the Clifton signature above the date 22.8.84, or 22 August 1984. Its broad, dark strokes provide a useful comparison with the pencil signature on the 1978 Flight of Birds lithograph.
Lettering can vary with the writing tool, scale and date. Compare signatures alongside the artwork’s medium, provenance and other identifying details; these photographs document individual examples rather than authenticate another work.
Collecting Clifton Pugh
Pugh’s exhibition history, major portrait prizes and public-gallery representation give collectors a substantial career to research. Paintings, drawings and editioned prints should be assessed separately: medium, composition, condition, provenance and the individual work all affect appeal and price.
For prints, check the process, paper, edition and workshop or publisher details. A hand signature alone does not establish authenticity or make a reproduction an original painting. Compare achieved sales for similar works, rather than relying on advertised prices. His reputation does not guarantee that every work will rise in value; buy for quality and personal enjoyment as well as collecting interest.
Browse Australian art available from TMC Art.
View Clifton Pugh’s Flight of Birds lithograph.
Further reading: Clifton Pugh at the National Portrait Gallery.