Archibald Douglas (better known as Archie or AD) Colquhoun grew up in Melbourne, the son of artists. He studied at the National Gallery of Victoria but left to become a staff artist with The Herald. He later studied with Max Meldrum whose theory on colour and tone was a major influence. In the mid 1920s Colquhoun travelled, studied and exhibited in Europe and England, but returned to Melbourne in 1926 to open a studio and art school. He was an influential teacher and a dedicated painter, winning the Crouch prize in 1933 and the Newman prize for Australian historical painting in 1934. Colquhoun spent some time working and exhibiting in England with his artist wife, Amalie Field, but in 1937 they resumed teaching and painting in Melbourne. The portraiture component of their practices expanded and as Amalie focused on portraits of children, Colquhoun was increasingly called upon to paint prominent personalities. Some of his other well known portraits are of Prime Minister Ben Chifley, and the Archbishop of Brisbane, (Sir) James Duhig.