John Campbell Longstaff was born on 10 March 1861 at Clunes, Victoria, and he grew up in Victoria. His father had intended another career for his son, but John was finally allowed to attend the art school of the National Gallery of Victoria. In 1887 he was the first recipient of the school’s travelling art scholarship with his painting Breaking the News, which poignantly depicted the aftermath of a mining accident. In the ensuing years Longstaff spent time in Europe and Australia developing his career mainly as a portraitist although he also painted in other genres. Artists who influenced his style included the Australian impressionist John Peter Russell, the French historical artist Fernand Cormon and the seventeenth century Spanish portraitist Diego Velázquez. He enjoyed much success, being invited to paint many royal subjects and other dignitaries. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts regularly during the period 1902–20, and at the Paris Salon. In 1918–19 he served as an official war artist with the Australian Imperial Force. From August 1920 Longstaff lived permanently in Melbourne, though he worked in other cities on a regular basis and held many positions in Australian art societies and organisations. He was a trustee at the National Gallery of Victoria. Some of his well known portraits are of King Edward VII, Queen Alexandria, Sir John Monash, Dame Nellie Melba and Henry Lawson. He won the Archibald prize for portraiture five times between 1925 and 1935. In 1928 he was knighted.