Artist Jenny Sages has taken out the Archibald People's Choice award for a self-portrait that captures her grief following the death of her husband.
Sages was a finalist in the Archibald Prize last year with a portrait of her husband, painted in the last year of his life.
Anne Flanagan, acting director of the Art Gallery of NSW, said her follow-up piece After Jack was an emotional tribute.
"This is a painting of her dealing with her grief after losing her husband. It's a very emotional piece," she told reporters at the gallery.
Sages is currently in Bali but was "thrilled" to hear she had won the 24th People's Choice, she added.
"She said she's never had so many communications from the community. She felt shifted and healed, that she could put the work out there and begin to move on," Ms Flanagan said.
More than 16,000 people voted in the People's Choice award this year.
Brisbane local Robyn Killin McAuliffe, who won a prize for voting, said she chose the work because Sages had captured an emotional connection that "transcended mere illustration and skill".
"Jenny has used no bells or whistles or intellectual cleverness to draw attention," she said in a statement.
"It's the profound human connection that makes this portrait special to me."
Ms Flanagan said it was rare for the same work to win both the Archibald Prize and People's Choice award - and this year was no exception.
Visitors have agreed with the judges on just two occasions - in 1988 with Fred Cress's portrait of John Beard, and in 2004 with Craig Ruddy's portrait of David Gulpilil.
Sages' work has appeared in the Archibald Prize 20 times and she has been a People's Choice finalist 14 times.
The winner of this year's Archibald Prize was Tim Storrier with his self-portrait The histrionic wayfarer (after Bosch).
Share
