“Nicole Kidman shared a heartwarming tribute to her late mother Janelle on Sunday as she revealed the ‘dying wish’ the matriarch had for her famous daughters.”, — write: www.dailymail.co.uk
The Hollywood star, 57, and her lawyer sister Antonia, 54, sat for a portrait done by artist Jaq Grantford on Christmas Eve, just a few months after their mother died.
The painting was a tribute to Janelle, whose ‘dying wish’ was to have a portrait of her daughters, and became a finalist in the 2025 Archibald Prize.
In the painting, Nicole and Antonia could be seen cuddling up beneath a glamorous green material they wrapped around themselves.
‘The sitting for this portrait of sisters Antonia and Nicole Kidman took place in Sydney last Christmas Eve,’ read the statement from Art Gallery of NSW.
‘The painting is a tribute to their mother, Janelle Kidman, who passed away in September 2024.’
“‘This was their first Christmas without her, which must have been difficult,” says Jaq Grantford, a three-time Archibald finalist,’ it continued.
‘”One of Janelle’s dying wishes was to have this portrait painted to celebrate her daughters’ close family bond.”
‘”I felt honoured and touched that they agreed to a Christmas sitting,” says Grantford.
‘The fact that they could all get together on such a special day was “a Christmas miracle” according to Nicole.’
The statement, which was positioned next to the oil canvas while it was on display at the gallery, went on to say Nicole and Antonia ‘place a strong importance on family’.
‘Grantford draped material around them as a reference to children playing make-believe and a way to unite the sisters, showing their close relationship,’ it said.
‘The luxurious brocade, which is patterned with flowers that their mother loved, is a nod to Hollywood and glamour, while the fading edges are reminiscent of old family photos and memories from the past.’
Jaq, the artist, shared the portrait of Nicole and Antonia to her Instagram earlier this month ahead of the Archibald Prize opening night on Friday.
She wrote in the caption how ‘excited’ she was to sit with the famous Kidman sisters and put their likeness down on her canvas.
‘It was an honour to paint such amazing women. The portrait was at the request of their remarkable mother, Janelle Kidman, who recently passed away,’ she said.
‘It was one of her final wishes to see the portrait of her two daughters together.’
Nicole shared the portrait to her own Instagram page on Sunday, writing simply: ‘For our Mumma.’
It comes after Nicole shared a touching throwback picture of her late mother Janelle, who passed away last year at age 84.
The Big little Lies star marked Mother’s Day with the photo, which featured the actress posing in front of Uluru alongside her beloved parent.
Also seen in the charming picture were Nicole’s daughters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 14, who were only toddlers when the photo was taken.
Nicole also shared another photo of Janelle walking with two of her granddaughters on a track near the Indigenous sacred site and famed tourist destination.
The Australian star shares Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret with her husband of 18 years Keith Urban.
She also shares, Bella, 32, and Connor, 30, with her ex-husband Tom Cruise.
‘My mother and my daughters in Uluru, beautiful memories… Always Happy Mother’s Day,’ Nicole wrote in the caption.