Hurtle Duffield Courtney
The protagonist of the novel whose life we follow from childhood to death, tracking his development as a painter. Hurtle is born into a poor family and adopted as a child by the wealthy Courtneys, with whom he trains as a young gentleman and receives exposure to the art world. As a teenager he leaves the Courtneys and cuts all communication, rejecting the comforts of upper class life to live in poverty and dedicate his life to painting.
Harry and Alfreda Courtney
The patriarch and matriarch of the rich Courtney clan cloistered in the luxurious wealth of their mansion. They agree to “purchase” Hurtle from his biological mother who is also their washwoman. When Hurtle begins manifesting artistic talent it serves to sanction Alfreda’s deep-seated belief that she is gifted with the ability to recognize genius and talent. Harry, though seemingly a respectable man who merely wants to connect with his adopted son, is no match for a relationship between mother and son which verges on incestuous.
Rhoda Courtney
Hurtle's hunchbacked step-sister, with whom he had an oscillating relationship of tenderness and repulsion as children. Though exceptionally perceptive and intelligent, Rhoda has been cast off to the fringes of society due to her physical condition. Her body is the first to inspire a desire in Hurtle to dissect the weaknesses in the people around him, and he returns to her form again and again throughout his career. Absent for a significant part of the novel's middle section, Rhoda eventually returns later in Hurtle's life and the two move in together, with Rhoda taking on a number of household duties.
Kathy Volkov
Duffield considers Kathy his spiritual child, convinced that they are cut from the same cloth of artistic genius. When he encounters her as an adolescent, she is moved by his paintings, and later says that seeing them is what opened up her mind to the possibility of great beauty. She is a piano prodigy who goes on to tour around the world and have great success. Despite Duffield's inappropriate relationship with her, she continues to claim that he was only ever a positive force in her life.
Hero Pavloussi
Duffield's Greek mistress whom he meets through Boo Hollingrake; Hero and Duffield share a deep erotic connection based on abjection that inspires a number of his paintings. She attempts suicide after her husband, Cosma, discovers the affair, and then dies several years later of a cancer that Boo suggests was inflicted upon her by Duffield.
Boo Hollingrake
A friend of Rhoda's as a girl who has an early flirtation with Hurtle. Boo disappears to Peru for a while and acts as Duffield's patroness via an alias. She returns to Australia and becomes a close friend of Duffield, believing that she can understand his paintings better than he can.
Mr. Cutbush
Cutbush is the local grocer and former councilman with whom Duffield has an important encounter one night under the moonlight. The men talk about creation, explicitly linking the ideas of Creation, conception, and making art.
Cosma Pavlossi
Hero's husband whom she repeatedly claims is a very good, gentle man. Though she only married him for money, she comes to love him – but not enough to resist cheating on him with Duffield. Duffield sees a fascinating, horrifying cruelty in Cosma when he hears about him drowning cats in bags.
Mr. Caldicott
Caldicott is Duffield's agent who takes him on when he is still starting out and advances him enough money to paint full time. Knowing that Caldicott was in love with Duffield, Duffield suspects for a long time that his agent is actually his anonymous patron, though he is incorrect.
Don Lethbridge
Duffield's protégé who comes to assist him after his stroke, initially with washing and dressing but then with assembling his God paintings. When asked about the work he did to help Duffield, Lethbridge remains very humble, praising Duffield's devotion to the form and claiming he did nothing at all to help him.
