Royal Society
of Portrait Painters
W
ednesday 8th May saw
the Private View of the
Royal Society of Portrait
Painters 128th annual
exhibition and prize giving at
the Mall Galleries. The
Gallery was full for this
prestigious event showing
over 200 portraits. Every
year the standard is high but
this year it was indeed a
celebration of the very best
portraiture. President
Richard Foster RP
introduced guest speaker
Tim Knox, Director of the
Royal Collection, to open the
exhibition and present the
prizes.
On display was a portrait of
Lillie Langtry by George Frederic
Watts on loan from the Watts
Gallery, Surrey. In 2020, the
Royal Society of Portrait
Painters will stage an exhibition
at the Watts Gallery to coincide
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THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK
with their show about another
past member, Sir William
Orpen, the Society’s President
between 1924 and 1930.
Over 2000 entries were
received for this exhibition, the
best of which were selected for
the show. A new artist to the
exhibition, Stewart Beckett,
Sir Simon Wessely by Alastair Adams.
Portrait with Chinoiserie Wallpaper
by Miriam Escofet. The Executive Chef by Peter
Kuhfeld.
submitted a portrait of his
nephew Ben, Mr Moody Junior,
which was selected and hung
in the exhibition. This is a great
achievement in the open
section but sadly, did not win a
prize. £10,000 and the Society’s
Medal. This was awarded to
Peter Kuhfeld RP for the most
distinguished portrait in the
exhibition, The Executive Chef.
The theme for this year’s RP
Award with a £2000 prize was
‘Skin’ and there was plenty of it
about. The winner was James
Hague RP for Tom, an
interesting torso painted in oil.
Other prizes were presented
including the Ondaatje Prize for
Portraiture with a cheque for
Portrait artists need people to
sit and spend time as well as
money. If anyone is interested
in commissioning a portrait,
the Mall Galleries will help from
concept to completion with
fees being surprisingly
affordable.
LYNNE WARNER