A documentary on the life of one of Australia's best known painters, Sir William Dobell, whose life was often caught up in a turmoil of events not directly connected with the arts. He was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1899, the son of a builder, and died in 1970. The program was produced on location in London, Paris, Sydney, Newcastle and the small town of Wangi Wangi. People who knew Dobell reminisce about his life and art, and many examples of his work are shown. The program also incorporates archival black-and-white newsreel footage from Cinesound and Movietone.