Brand New!! National Gallery Hangs Novel Tony Blair Portrait

A novel portrait of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair by artist Alastair Adams, President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, has been unveiled by The National Portrait Gallery, London.

NPG 6974: Anthonly Charles Lynton ('Tony') Blair (b.1953)
by Alastair Adams PRP (b.1969), 2013
Oil on board, 1221 x 920mm (48 1/8 x 36 1/4 ins)
© National Portrait Gallery, London

The portrait was commissioned past times the NPG too follows the tradition that the Gallery should create got a portrait of every Prime Minister.   I gauge my exclusively surprise is why this hasn't happened sooner - but I gauge it must create got been pretty hard to pivot him downwards to hit the sittings.

I've non seen it nonetheless but commencement impressions advise it's an first-class portrait.  The pose is of a rattling straight "look you lot inwards the eyes" persuasion which is rattling feature of the homo himself.  It's also dainty to come across a portrait which is non besides formal.


The 4 pes past times 3 pes prototype of Tony Blair past times Alastair Adams is inwards Room 37 inwards the Ground Floor Lerner Contemporary Galleries at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from Fri xx December, Admission Free.

Tony Blair has the unique distinction of existence the longest-serving Labour Prime Minister and, to date, the youngest to accept upwards part since 1812.  He led the Labour Party to victory inwards 3 General Elections earlier his resignation inwards 2007.

Alastair Adams (b. 1969) was elected a fellow member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters inwards 2002.  In 2005 became the Society’s Treasurer. In 2008 he was made President, the youngest inwards the Society’s 122 twelvemonth history.  He developed his involvement inwards figurative too portrait prototype which grooming every bit an illustrator. Since 1995 he has produced portraits of many notable subjects, though his approach is e'er the same. 

‘I believe inwards creating natural, unassuming paintings based on an incisive, observational drawing practice’.

He began the procedure of prototype a portrait of Tony Blair inwards the leap of 2011. The commencement sittings took identify at Tony Blair’s home, South Pavilion inwards Wotton Underwood, inwards Buckinghamshire - which used to live abode to John Gielgud. He initially worked on sketches to flora a definitive pose. He adjacent developed several portraits inwards oils too inwards graphite - working from life too using photographs for reference - earlier arriving at the i which has right away taken its identify inwards the Gallery.

For those interested inwards portraiture, Adams also holds a inquiry based lecturing set at Loughborough University, practicing portraiture too publishing papers that attempt out commissioned portraiture, life drawing inside a modern educational context, drawing too visualisation too facial difference. He is also a Co-Director of the contemporary drawing inquiry grouping too journal, TRACEY.

Anybody wishing to come across to a greater extent than of Alastair's operate tin hit too therefore via his spider web site or via his page on the Royal Society of Portrait Painters website.

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