Portraits are not always intended as likenesses. There may be good reasons for steering away from exact likeness: the avoidance of disfigurement, conscious flattery, or the machinations of politics. Sometimes a portrait is painted with such realism it appears to breathe. For this study morning in the astonishing National Portrait Gallery (perhaps the greatest such gallery in the world) we study the way faces are painted and what that may tell us about their artists’ and patrons’ intentions. We also will study how the portrait may be complemented or not by costume, or setting, or both. We ask why Henry VII was depicted looking sly, while Henry VIII was obediently drawn by Holbein with a face as flat as a pancake; why Edward VI looks like Pinocchio; why Anthony Mor’s portrait of Sir Henry Lee presents him as human in his tension, while the Earl of Arundel is filled with lifelike vigour by Rubens, and James II’s features are searched so painstakingly by Lely. We ask why John Michael Wright showed the philosopher Hobbes as a dome of intellect; why Reynolds’ image of Laurence Sterne shows him looking dangerous; why Charles Darwin was depicted as if by Rembrandt and T.S.Eliot as if by Braque, and what Lucian Freud brought to his portrait of Jacob Rothschild.
The greatest riches of the 20c and 21c collection lie in its portraits of women: Emmeline Pankhurst painted as if anticipating an intelligent dinner party; Laura Knight painting herself from behind, Gwen John as if by Titian, and Victoria Russell showing Fiona Shaw half-undressed and looking to the gods. We ask ourselves if it makes a difference if an image of a woman is by a woman.
By the end of the morning, we will have surveyed the faces of monarchs, courtiers, politicians, poets, novelists, scientists, actresses, philanthropists and more: the faces of a nation at its best.
11.00 for 11.15 Please meet for coffee in Notes Coffee Roasters & Bar on St Martin’s Lane, opposite the National Portrait Gallery. At the end of the morning we take lunch (optional) in Browns, a little further up St Martins Lane.
Cost: £80 members, £90 non-members, including coffee. £15 discount if you bring a friend.
Information:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This study day at the National Portrait Gallery has been developed by Louise Friend and will be presented by Nicholas Friend. It is held on Tuesdays, beginning on Tuesday 21 April until Tuesday 23 June 2026 at 5pm.
If you book for the course but cannot manage a particular date, then be assured we will be sending recordings of sessions to all registered participants. Each session meets from 15 minutes before the advertised time of the lecture, and each lasts roughly one hour with 15 minutes discussion.
COST:
£500 for members, £600 non-members for ten sessions.
All sessions are limited to 21 participants to permit a vibrant after-lecture discussion session.
Please make your payment to Friend&Friend Ltd by bank transfer to our account with Metrobank, bank sort code 23-05-80, account number 13291721 or via PayPal to nicholas@inscapetours.co.uk, or credit/debit card by phone to Henrietta on 07940 719 397 who is available on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 2-5 pm.
How to Set Up a PayPal account::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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How to Connect your Bank Account to your PayPal account:::::::::::::::::::::::
Log on to your account and click the “Wallet” option in the menu bar running along the top of the screen.
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How to Send Money::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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INSCAPE CULTURAL STUDY SOCIETY 