Archibald prize winner: Self portrait Janus faced.
Artist: John Olsen

Veteran Australian painter John Olsen has won Australia's most prestigious art competition, the 2005 Archibald Prize for his painting Self Portrait Janus Faced.

Olsen was today announced as the winner of the prestigious $35,000 portrait prize by the NSW Art Gallery Trust.

The artist was born in Newcastle in 1928 and is often referred to as Australia's greatest living painter. He has received an Order of Australia and numerous other awards for his contribution to arts.

Janus, the object of Olsen's portrait, is the Roman god of gates and doors, beginnings and endings, and is often represented with a double-faced head, each looking in opposite directions.

Reacting to his win, the artist said: "Janus had the ability to look back wards and forwards and when you get to my age you have a hell of a lot to think about."

Veteran art critic John McDonald said Olsen's self portrait was "the shortest priced winner in any year" of the competition.

"It was a very obvious choice, he was the oldest artist, 77-years-old, perhaps the most senior Australian artist, and widely respected.

"He had entered another portrait in 1989 Donde Voy? Self-Portrait in Moments of Doubt. in 1989, which it was thought would win, but they gave it to Bryan Westwood for his Portrait of Elwyn Lynn.

"So I think John Olsen felt it was unfinished business and the judges did too."

McDonald said he didn't think the portrait would be a particularly popular choice with the Australian public.

But he said: "If any critic was going to be critical, it would be me, and I think it's a fair choice. I think the public should give it some consideration and give it a chance. It was the most complex painting in the exhibition.

"It's a dark, raw, con fessional picture, and not a very flattering picture showing a two-faced ghost-like figure, which you can see through to the landscape."