A holy portrait of Brittany Higgins is symbolic of her new chapter as a mother and the ‘personal renewal’ she experienced during her time spent in France.
UK-based artist Jessie Lee Nash shared photos on Friday of the portrait ‘Renaissance’ which depicts a saintly Higgins with a halo above her head.
‘This experience was healing and kind, and depicts the formidable woman that Brittany is,’ Ms Nash wrote of the experience painting the former political staffer.
The artist shared photos of Bordeaux’s cathedral, officially known as the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew, including iconography and stained glass windows.
The collection of cathedral shots suggest that, not only did the artist and muse meet in the French city, but it was a source of inspiration for Ms Nash.
Ms Nash, who was born in Cairns, said the work ‘didn’t make the cut’ for the Archibald Prize but that she ‘couldn’t be prouder’.
‘I needed this painting and that’s truly the biggest thing,’ she said.
The sense of admiration was seemingly mutual, with Higgins quick to share photos of the portrait and a photo of the pair hugging in front of a fountain to her own Instagram.
The painting (pictured) by UK-based Australian artist Jessie Lee Nash appears to make reference to religious iconography, with a halo painted above Higgins’ head
Higgins and artist Jessie Lee Nash (pictured) reportedly met for a day in Bordeaux
‘It was such a privilege to sit for @jessieleenash’s first ever submission to the Australian Archibald Prize portrait competition,’ Higgins wrote.
‘I’ll always treasure our day together in Bordeaux – lamenting the inequity in the justice system, eating great food and feeling the true depth of the sisterhood.’
Higgins and Ms Nash are understood to have a shared lived experience, which prompted this project.
The title ‘Renaissance’ resonated with the women as it means ‘rebirth’ in French, alluding to Higgins’ time in France and her new chapter as a mother.
A close-up of the painting revealed the dedication ‘For Freddie’ beside Ms Nash’s initials, which could be a reference to Higgins’ eight-week-old baby Frederick Leon Sharaz who underwent surgery last week.
Higgins’ husband, David Sharaz, was also pictured in the Instagram series standing beside his wife in front of Bordeaux’s cathedral.
The portrait shows Higgins painted in Ms Nash’s preferred palette of crimson, pink, and muted reds with her hands resting on her stomach.
The painting features a dark blue background and gilded frame, with a small house and fountain featuring in the corners.
The former political staffer is seen leaving court in October, 2022
Ms Nash seemingly took inspiration from Bordeaux’s cathedral, sharing a photo of Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz (both pictured) outside the entrance
The features might be nods to Higgins’ life in France with the house a similar shape to that of the French chateau the couple purchased in 2023.
The property has since been listed for sale, with the proceeds to cover costs of a defamation suit brought against Higgins by her former boss, Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds.
Higgins and Sharaz now reportedly plan to live in Melbourne’s east after marrying last year on the Gold Coast.
The three-bedroom mansion in Lunas, a tiny village 100km east of Bordeaux, was purchased after settling a suit against the federal government for $2.4million.
Higgins said she held onto about $1.9million after fees and taxes.
The payout came after the rape trial of her former colleague and fellow ex-political staffer Bruce Lehrmann was thrown out in response to juror misconduct in 2022.
Justice Michael Lee ruled that Lehrmann had raped the former political staffer on the balance of probabilities – the civil standard of proof.
Earlier this month, within days of the birth of Higgins’ child, Lehrmann filed submissions with the Federal Court in which his lawyer laid out the grounds of his appeal of Justice Lee’s decision.
Lehrmann has since been committed to stand trial in a Queensland rape case surrounding an incident alleged to have taken place in Brisbane’s west in 2021.
He has always maintained his innocence in both matters.
