Mortality and the importance of family lie behind this portrait by Simon Davis It was the death of a parent that gave birth to this work of art. It drew the Almeida-Hall family’s attention to the importance of family, and to their own mortality. There was a second layer to this commission. Being a same-sex…
“We wanted to give something with some permanence to celebrate the marriage and also something that they wouldn’t get for themselves,” explains Robin who commissioned this portrait for his son and daughter-in-law-to-be as a wedding present. Having never commissioned a portrait before, he initially felt daunted by the wide range of possibilities but found the…
When given some money for his birthday, Michel thought that the most enjoyable and lasting way of spending it would be to commission a portrait. As somebody who particularly enjoys the work of the Surrealists, a portrait ‘after Magritte’ seemed the thing. Michel used this website to select and contact David Cobley to paint it.…
Mark Roscoe, who was commissioned to paint this portrait, considered adding a liver bird to the bookshelves but felt that making a mythical bird look real might not have worked. Instead, the liver bird appears on the robes Sir Brian wears where it is holding liver seaweed. A liver bird is a mythical creature and…
Cressida Dick was surprised by the strength of feeling that there was in favour of having a portrait commissioned, but understood its importance so paid for it out of her own salary commenting that it is ‘an important part of the 100 years celebrations, symbolising the nature of the current Met and, maybe more importantly,…
This commission for Benjamin Sullivan celebrates the RAF Club’s 100th Anniversary. He has been working on it since February 2018. The portrait includes a number of personal links between Benjamin and this commission. If you look in the background you will see a Spitfire – ‘S’ for ‘Strike’ – from 253 Squadron from which the artist’s grandfather,…
Jason Sullivan’s portrait of Professor Judith Pallot is the first portrait of a female fellow to hang in the Great Hall of Christ Church College, Oxford. It will hang alongside portraits of Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey, John Locke and William Gladstone. The portrait is currently hanging in Christ Church’s Picture Gallery but will be moved…
Five steps to commissioning a great portrait As a charity promoting portraiture, making commissioning easy is part of our remit. We are here to help throughout the process from selecting the right artist to contracting, framing and delivery. Commissioning a portrait is an enjoyable experience with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. Being part of…
