MAKE ART | Choosing a Palette
For this how to guide Sadie Lee considers the range of colours that artists might select when making paintings.
MAKE ART | Fine Line Pen Technique
For this how-to guide artist Peta Taylor will be taking you through a fine line pen exercise - a simple, yet impactful technique🖊️
MAKE ART | Tips for Sketching a Basic Portrait
Artist Robin-Lee Hall offers some tips and tricks for composing a basic portrait ✏️
Sharmadean Reid by Charles Moxon | BP Portrait Award 2020
'a little girl needs to go into the National Portrait Gallery and see me and think, "I can be represented in that way too"'
BP Portrait Award artist Charles Moxon caught up with his sitter British entrepeneur Sharmadean Reid MBE.
We are excited to reveal three more images from the final 100 #HoldStill2020 portraits. Launched by the Duchess of Cambridge, Hold Still invited people from across the UK to submit a photographic portrait taken during lockdown. Focused on three core themes – Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness – the final 100 will feature in a digital exhibition, launching on Monday 14 September.
This project is being supported by international law firm Taylor Wessing, long-time sponsor of the National Portrait Gallery
📷 Rainbow By Helen Pugh; Empty by Julie Thiberg ; ‘Keep smiling through. Just like you always do. ‘Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away’ By Jessica Sommerville
Sleeping Awake
The Gallery is about to undertake a major new chapter in its history. The Inspiring People project will greatly improve the building and facilities for future generations and give us the opportunity to re-display the Collection, with new interpretation including multiple voices, and hidden histories. Many visitors have expressed disappointment that they were unable to visit the Gallery and say goodbye to ‘old friends’. So, we made a film…
MAKE ART | How to use a Ground
What is a ground? And why are they used?
🎨 Watch and listen as artist Sadie Lee takes us through this artistic practice.
‘Sarabande’ from Partita in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach | Classic FM Live Sessions
In June we welcomed Classic FM to the Gallery for a series of exclusive live sessions. Listen as Violinist Jennifer Pike performs ‘Sarabande’ from Partita in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach 🎻 🎶
Film courtesy of Classic FM
'I do, I undo, I redo' Nicola Hicks MBE by Jamie Routley
“When I finally stood in front of your portrait, it was the most extraordinary feeling, because I felt seen”
#BPPortrait Award artist Jamie Routley caught up with his friend and sitter sculptor Nicola Hicks.
After over 31,000 entries to #HoldStill2020, the community photography project spearheaded by the Duchess of Cambridge, we are excited to reveal three of the final 100 images 👀
The panel of judges was made up of: the Duchess of Cambridge; Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the National Portrait Gallery; Lemn Sissay MBE, writer and poet; Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England; and Maryam Wahid, photographer.
The full selection will be unveiled in the digital exhibition on Monday 14th September. npg.org.uk/hold-still
📷: Prayers for Our Community; Gimba – the Ward Host; We’re Really Lucky to Have a Garden.
MAKE ART | A Warm-up Drawing Exercise
Our new MAKE ART series offers top tips for budding artists. For this film Peta Taylor will be taking you through a short drawing exercise. The aim - to build confidence and develop your 'looking' skills.
Papay Solomon and Benjamin Gasinga Gaspard
#BPPortrait artist Papay Solomon painted his friend Benjamin as part of a series of large-scale portraits, in which Soloman used 'hyper-realism to explore the language of portraiture to expand African narratives.’
Watch their conversation 🎦
Earlier this year we welcomed Classic FM to the Gallery for a series of exclusive live sessions. 🎵 Enjoy Andrey Lebedev 's performance of Garôto's ‘Lamentos do morro’. 🎵
We continue our series of Classic FM live sessions with Alexandra Whittingham, and her performance of 'Forgotten' by Catharina Pratten 🎵
We continue our series of Classic FM live sessions with Ashok Klouda, and his performance of Cello Suite No.5 III. ‘Courante’ by Johann Sebastian Bach 🎵
In June we welcomed Classic FM to the Gallery for a series of exclusive live sessions. Enjoy as Violinist Jennifer Pike performs ‘The Lark Ascending’ by Ralph Vaughan Williams 🎻🎵
Sarah-Jane Moon and Lola Flash
Lola Flash's work has been at the forefront of visual politics for over three decades, challenging gender, sexual and racial stereotypes. Hear BP Portrait artist Sarah Jane Moon and Flash reflect on identity, visibility and the story behind the portrait.
The Face of Service with Manu Saluja
"I was grateful to return to the Golden Temple and to create portraits that shine a light on the humble acts of ordinary people..."
Watch as BP Travel Award 2019 winner Manu Saluja offers a behind the scenes insight into her award-winning project, and artistic process.
BP Portrait Award artist Thomas Leveritt spoke with his sitters, Emily and Funmi - both frontline NHS staff. During the conversation they reflected on the portrait, the pressures of working in healthcare, and the immediacy of the work's message since the global Covid-19 pandemic.
⭐For those of you that missed #HockneyDrawings, take a moment to enjoy this curator's tour ⭐
This exclusive footage was made possible thanks to the Gallery's long-term supporter, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
Happy Birthday to actor and writer Meera Syal. To celebrate we're taking a look back to our COMING HOME project. Watch as Wolverhampton discuss their local hero, and what 'home' means to them.
A Curator's Look | Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things
For those of you that missed Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things and can't wait for the tour, enjoy this curator-led overview by Robin Muir.
This exclusive footage was made possible thanks to the Gallery's long-term supporter, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. #HSFlegal
Today is your final chance to enter #HoldStill2020.
Spearheaded by The Duchess of Cambridge, this ambitious community project will create a unique photographic portrait which captures the spirit, mood, hopes, fears and feelings of the nation as we continue to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak.
📷 Enter to be in with a chance of featuring in our online exhibition, open to all. Entry closes today, 18 June at 6pm : www.npg.org.uk/holdstill
🌟The project is being supported by international law firm Taylor Wessing, long-time sponsor of the National Portrait Gallery.
BP Portrait Award 2020
Selected from 1,981 entries by artists from 69 countries around the world, the BP Portrait Award 2020 represents the very best in contemporary portrait painting.
Discover the online exhibition today: www.npg.org.uk/bpportrait
There’s not long left to take part in #HoldStill2020. This ambitious project will create a unique photographic portrait which captures the spirit, mood, hopes and fears of the nation as we continue to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: http://ow.ly/okXN50A4UhS
“I made it kind of nostalgic looking because it’s soon to be a memory, once society becomes normal again”
This #carersweek, we’re featuring some of the wonderful #HoldStill2020 entries from young carers at the Renaissance Foundation. Photographers Jal, Ananya and Ose responded to the theme ‘Your New Normal’, creating photographic portraits of their lives during the pandemic.
Submit your photographs to Hold Still today, closing 18 June: https://www.npg.org.uk/hold-still/
We are a Gallery about people and for people. In solidarity with the black community across the world, we recognise that we have a responsibility to face the need for change and to speak out against all forms of racism and discrimination following the tragic death of George Floyd and the events of recent days. #BlackLivesMatter
The National Portrait Gallery exists to tell the story of the people who have made and are making British history and culture. We are aware that many works in our historic Collection represent white privilege and that we have our own challenges to face to ensure that we better represent the history and experiences of all the people of the UK. We are working hard to change this and are committed to finding new ways to tell the stories of all those who are under-represented.
Our thoughts are with George Floyd’s family and all those who continue to suffer from racism and violence across the world.