Brisbane Portrait Prize reads

Brisbane Portrait Prize celebrates the stories and lives of the people of Meanjin/Brisbane and runs from 20 September till to 9 November in slq Gallery. A host of Brisbane faces have been captured in photography, coloured pencils, cyanotype, tintype photography, oil, acrylic, watercolour, and even precious locks of hair – discover your favourites on display on level 2.

To celebrate, we've put together a list of portrait-themed books for you to enjoy. These books have as their starting point painters such as Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Hector Hyppolite and Diego Velázquez. You will find famous (and infamous) artists in the pages below – but not as you know them. Read on for some exquisite short stories, historical fiction, romance, and novellas that explore the relationships between painters and their sitters.