Heath Ledger's Final Portrait

The paint was barely dry on his portrait when actor Heath Ledger was pronounced dead.

Melbourne artist Vincent Fantauzzo had been putting the finishing touches on his painting of the star at his Docklands studio on Tuesday.

A day later, his subject was found dead in his New York apartment, from what authorities say may be an accidental drug overdose.

Fantauzzo painted Ledger with the intention of entering the portrait in the prestigious Archibald Prize later this year. But the newly finished work got an early showing yesterday, when, with the approval of the Ledger family, Fantauzzo released the image to the media.


Ledger sat for Fantauzzo on his last visit home to Perth in December.

The painting depicts the notoriously private actor as three separate images.

The central, and largest, image is of Ledger, bare-chested, looking straight ahead, appearing pained and exhausted.

The two background images are of Ledger wearing humorous expressions, whispering into the ears of his foreground image.


Fantauzzo said he felt privileged to have worked with Ledger.

"Heath was a very private person, which is one of the reasons I was so honoured that he allowed me to paint him," Fantauzzo told reporters. He was so easy and professional to work with. He didn't need any direction, (he was) absolutely focused. Once done, he was back to his usual charismatic self."

Ledger's childhood friend, hip hop artist N'fa, told Channel Ten News the actor couldn't wait to see the finished work.

"He was very excited about it. He was very excited to see the finished product," N'fa said.

N'fa said the picture had captured Ledger perfectly.

"This is the way he always was. He was always a thought ahead. He was the hardest person to play chess against."
[source]