Archibald Prize 2025: Why Johannes Leak’s portrait of Alex Ryvchin didn’t make the cut

As the annual controversy swirls around the finalists for the Archibald Prize, we look at an artwork that didn’t make the cut: a moving portrait of a remarkable Australian: Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, who came here as a penniless Soviet refugee. 

As the annual controversy swirls around the finalists for the Archibald Prize, we look at an artwork that didn’t make the cut: a moving portrait of a remarkable Australian: Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, who came here as a penniless Soviet refugee. 

Find out more about The Front podcast here. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's website or on The Australian’s app.

This episode of The Front is written and presented by Claire Harvey and produced and edited by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.

As the annual controversy swirls around the finalists for the Archibald Prize, we look at an artwork that didn&rsquo;t make the cut: a moving portrait of a remarkable Australian: Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, who came here as a penniless Soviet refugee.&nbsp;
Find out more about The Front podcast <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a>. You can read about this story and more on The Australian's <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">website</a> or on The Australian&rsquo;s app.
This episode of The Front is written and presented by Claire Harvey and produced and edited by Jasper Leak who also composed our theme.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia's national broadsheet to audio, featuring behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories, journalists’ candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms. 

To find out more about The Front you can link here and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link here or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia&rsquo;s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day&rsquo;s essential page one stories, journalists&rsquo; candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.&nbsp;
To find out more about The Front you can link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a> and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">here</a> or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories.

The Front

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia’s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day’s essential page one stories, journalists’ candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.

To find out more about The Front you can link here and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link here or search for The Australian in your app store.

The Front brings the unrivalled journalism of Australia&rsquo;s national broadsheet to audio, featuring each day&rsquo;s essential page one stories, journalists&rsquo; candid take on the issues that matter and behind-the-scenes insight from our newsrooms.
To find out more about The Front you can link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/the-front/podcast/7e7d42e8c77b597cf8532d2e0c847e10">here</a> and for more from the newsroom at The Australian link <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/">here</a> or search for The Australian in your app store.

A portrait the Archibald Prize rejected: Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin, by Johannes Leak

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/e768ae59-e793-48e5-945c-b2d1003e026a/transcript