Heath Ledger's Portrait Entered In Art Contest

Heath Ledger's portrait becomes a contender for an art show. The painting entitled 'Heath' by Vincent Fantauzzo has made it to one of Australia's most prominent art prizes, Archibald Prize.

The portrait depicts the late actor in three persons - one Heath looks haunted in the center while two others whisper on each side. The original idea was that the other Heath on the side would be screaming, but Fantauzzo changed his mind thinking that it might became the focus of attention rather than the central Heath.

"The whispering, the voices, the frustration or something comical - they [represent] different ways that we might be thinking in our own mind," the artist tells Daily Telegraph.

Fantauzzo claims that he painted the art at the actor's Perth home in December. The actor and the artist had worked together on the concept, with Ledger even signing a form to assure its authenticity and be qualified for the Archibald Prize.

"I just didn't believe it. When you paint someone, you meditate over them. I was painting Heath every day for 10 hours a day," the artist says.