He's no oil painting, but he's our icon

By STUART DYE

A sharp intake of breath, then a smattering of applause greeted the unveiling of a new portrait of Sir Edmund Hillary at Auckland Museum yesterday.

The portrait, commissioned by the Auckland City Council and painted by award-winning Australian artist Lewis Miller, was unveiled amid pomp and ceremony befitting Summit Day.

But some in the assembled crowd seemed less than convinced.

The portrait, a partner to the famous Edward Halliday portrait painted in 1955, offers a warts-and-all depiction of Sir Edmund as he is today.

It was unveiled by Mayor John Banks, who described the picture as a gift to the people of New Zealand.

"We believed the best way to celebrate was to commission a contemporary portrait of our most distinguished citizen. It is a gift for the future."

Members of Sir Edmund's family and representatives of the Himalayan Trust were at the unveiling with children from the Starship children's hospital.

Few seemed to know how to react to the portrait, descriptions ranging from "interesting" to "unexpected".

The work of Lewis Miller is held in both national and international collections.

Museum director Dr Rodney Wilson said: "It is a striking portrait depicting a larger-than-life man whose life has been, and continues to be, immense."

The portrait goes on display today.