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Brits Lose Out Inwards Bp Portrait Accolade 2015

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The headlines from an analysis of the statistics of the entries for the BP Portrait Award are:
  • 2015 is a tape yr for the number of countries sending entries - upward to 92 countries from 73 countries inwards 2014
  • the number of entries has to a greater extent than than doubled over the in conclusion 10 years - this abide by is increasingly recognised equally prestigious at an international level.
  • the deed to 100% digital submission helped increment the overall number of entries (see BP Portrait Award 2015 entry goes digital and How to larn inwards the £30000 BP Portrait Award 2015)
    • the number of INTERNATIONAL entries increased past times some 53%
    • the number of Britain entries dipped past times 100 entries (-6.7%)
  • around 2% of the entry was selected for exhibition however:
    • only 1.7% of the Britain entry was selected
    • some 2.4% of the international entry was selected
  • as a result, the per centum of Britain artists inwards the exhibition also took a large dip. They similar a shot concern human relationship for less than one-half the artwork inwards the exhibition.

Below I unpick the numbers as well as demo you lot what they await similar inwards charts as well as a table.

The argue for doing the analysis three-fold:
  • it helps break to artists who submitted locomote what happened inwards this year's entry as well as alternative processes
  • it provides some feedback to the BP Team most statistics they mightiness non convey spotted inwards whatever analysis of this year's entry
  • it helps inform the decision-making of the artists who are going to remember most submitting locomote inwards 2016 (Entry for the BP Portrait Award 2016 volition opened upward inwards Nov 2015.)

The sources for all the numbers are the National Portrait Gallery Press Releases inwards recent years.  That as well as me bespeak for the numbers! ;)

Total no. of entries


I've done a nautical chart of how the number of entries convey to a greater extent than than doubled inwards the in conclusion 10 years. To survive precise:
  • the number of entries this yr is 147% higher than those received inwards 2006.
  • the number of entries inwards 2015 are 15% higher than inwards 2014.



BP Portrait Award 2006 - 2015: Total number of entries

Balance betwixt Britain as well as International Entries

This nautical chart shows the residue of entries betwixt Britain as well as International Entries betwixt 2010 as well as 2015.


BP Portrait Award 2010-2015: Balance betwixt Britain as well as International Entries

This indicates:
  • the number of entries from the Britain dropped this year from 1,490 inwards 2014 to 1,390 inwards 2015 - that's a drib of 100 entries or some 6.7%
  • by way of contrast the international entry rocketed this year from 887 inwards 2014 to 1,358 inwards 2015 - that's an increment of 53% which ane assumes is alone downward to the introduction of digital entry
  • the rules express entries to ane per artist, which way that the increment inwards international entries reflects a much greater involvement with international artists inwards this fine art competition!

What's rattling strange most the Britain figures is that inwards other fine art competitions, the switch to digital entry almost ever leads to a meaning increment inwards entries (as per the international entries). The Britain figures convey non followed the tendency observed elsewhere.
  • Maybe this is due to portrait artists inwards the Britain non existence conversant with technology scientific discipline as well as non knowing how to do a digital entry?
  • It's strange given that 2014 provided the alternative for digital entry hence it's non similar this was sprung on people......

British artists similar a shot demand to survive aware that inwards hereafter they appear upward increased competition. Below I await at the success rates of Britain vs international entries inwards becoming exhibited.

Selected artists relative to Entries (UK & International)


The tabular array below indicates that the per centum success charge per unit of measurement for all artists who submitted locomote is very, rattling low. Typically simply about most 2% of the entries - as well as this is a figure which artists demand to acquit inwards hear when considering whether to submit a portrait to side past times side year's exhibition.

2011 201 2013 2014 2015
UK entries  1,644  1,486  1,223  1,490  1,390
UK selected  37  40  35  36  23
UK selections equally % of entries 2.3% 2.7% 2.9% 2.4% 1.7%
International entries  728  701  746  887  1,358
International selected  16  15  20  19  32
International selections equally % of entries 2.2% 2.1% 2.7% 2.1% 2.4%

Comparison of Countries


I took the in conclusion 5 years as well as compared the countries where the exhibiting artists alive inwards damage of:
  • the numbers for each province inwards each yr betwixt 2011 as well as 2015
  • ranked according to the numbers inwards 2015, as well as hence 2014, as well as hence 2013 etc
  • the per centum of full portraits exhibited over the 5 yr menstruum of 2011-2015.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total % over 5 years
England 33 33 31 33 21 151 55.3%
United States 4 3 5 3 9 24 8.8%
Spain 5 4 2 5 8 24 8.8%
Ireland 1 3 3 7 2.6%
Israel 1 1 1 2 5 1.8%
France 1 2 3 1.1%
Scotland 3 3 2 3 1 12 4.4%
Canada 1 2 1 2 1 7 2.6%
Netherlands 2 1 2 1 6 2.2%
Belgium 1 1 1 3 1.1%
Romania 1 1 1 3 1.1%
Italy 1 1 2 1 5 1.8%
Northern Ireland 1 2 1 4 1.5%
Australia 1 1 2 0.7%
Czech Republic 1 1 2 0.7%
Turkey 1 1 0.4%
Germany 1 2 3 1.1%
Poland 1 1 0.4%
Serbia 1 1 0.4%
Sweden 1 1 0.4%
Slovakia 1 1 0.4%
South Africa 1 1 0.4%
Wales 1 3 4 1.5%
Greece 1 1 0.4%
Latvia 1 1 0.4%
53 55 55 55 55 273

The Britain Countries - England, Scotland, Wales as well as Northern Ireland

  • the Britain similar a shot accounts for less than half of the exhibiting artists - some 41% inwards 2015 compared to as well as 65% inwards 2014 as well as 70% inwards 2011. This is in all probability the most meaning alter of all.
  • England consistently comes locomote past times of the listing of countries of exhibited artists.  In full 55% of the portraits inwards the in conclusion 5 years convey come upward from English linguistic communication artists living inwards England.
  • BUT the per centum of paintings inwards the exhibition past times English linguistic communication artists has dropped from 62% inwards 2011 to 38% inwards 2015. This represents a reduction of most a tertiary inwards 5 years. This finding volition explicate to some portrait artists why their portrait was non selected this yr (leaving aside whatever aesthetic as well as character issues)
  • Scotland, Wales as well as Northern Republic of Ireland convey also seen a reduced number of artists selected for exhibition - with Scotland seeing the biggest reduction inwards 2015.

Other countries

  • THE USA as well as Kingdom of Spain are the 2 countries with a consistent presence inwards the exhibition.  Each has got 24 paintings into the exhibitions over the in conclusion 5 years.  Each has seen a designing of growth over fourth dimension with the most meaning increment coming inwards 2015. 
  • the USA has doubled the number of artists from the USA represented inwards the exhibition inwards the infinite of 5 years
  • Spain has created a consistent tendency for getting artists selected
  • In damage of continents inwards 2015:
    • 80% of the artists are from Europe 
    • North America accounts for 18%
    • Australasia (ie Australia) makes (I think) its starting fourth dimension appearance with ane creative someone selected inwards 2015

and finally......


Is it the diverseness inwards the international entries or the character of the portraits  submitted past times artists inwards the USA as well as Kingdom of Spain which accounts for the meaning shift inwards the exhibited artists inwards 2015.

Or mayhap it's the judges? After it's ever a query of personal taste. ;)

The contest was judged from master paintings by:
  • Pim Baxter, Acting Director at the fourth dimension of judging, National Portrait Gallery (Chair); 
  • Sarah Howgate, Contemporary Curator, National Portrait Gallery; 
  • Kim Mawhinney, Head of Art, National Museums Northern Ireland; 
  • Peter Monkman, Artist; 
  • Simon Schama, Historian; and 
  • Des Violaris, Director, Britain Arts & Culture, BP.

Previous analysis of BP entries

I've been analysing the statistics for some time.

More most the BP Portrait Award 2015


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