At the National Portrait Gallery, a Collection that is Unique in All the World
Location: National Portrait Gallery
Address: St. Martin's Pl, Charing Cross, London WC2H 0HE
In the light of a lantern, a young woman traces the profile of her lover on the wall, just before he is about to leave. His father, a potter in Corinth, works these lines into his clay. According to an ancient and fortunate legend, this is the origin of art itself. For thousands of years, before the invention of photography, the painted, sculpted and drawn portrait represented the only means for making distant or deceased people, somehow, become present. Over time, it acquired new functions, highlighting power and prestige, taste and virtue, beauty and emotion. In London, a museum celebrates the art of the portrait with an incredible collection that spans centuries. The National Portrait Gallery is a treasure trove that cannot be matched anywhere else in the world, with eleven-thousand paintings, drawings, sculptures and miniatures, as well as a section dedicated to photography that gathers together over 250.000 images. It is possible to admire masterpieces from Joshua Reynolds, William Hogarts and Andy Warhol, iconic portraits of characters such as Shakespeare and Queen Victoria, photos by masters like Henri Cartier-Bresson or Helmuth Newton, right up to contemporary artist David LaChapelle - a truly remarkable repertoire of faces and characters that tell the very story of Western Civilisation.
An exhibition dedicated to visionary collector Patric D. Prince's unique collection of digital art and the fascinating collaborations and use of technology it reveals. The 14 works on display provide a snapshot of digital art practices from the 1960s to early 2000s.
Portraiture has played a vital role in shaping the public's perception of the royal family in Britain. This exhibition chronicles the evolution of royal portrait photography from the 1920s to the present day, featuring over 150 image prints from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.
The Hay Wain is a painting by John Constable, completed in 1821, which depicts a rural scene on the River Stour between the English counties of Suffolk and Essex. It is regarded as "Constable's most famous image" and one of the greatest and most popular English paintings of all times.
The history of photography according to Elton John
This exhibition covers the period from the 1950s to the present day and bring together an unrivalled selection of the world’s leading photographers including works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, Diane Arbus, Sally Mann, and others.