Audio-described: The materials and techniques of Tudor portraitsNational Portrait Gallery2024-10-20 | Audio-described: The materials and techniques of Tudor portraitsArtist in focus: Peter BrathwaiteNational Portrait Gallery2024-09-10 | Join artist and opera singer Peter Brathwaite as he takes us behind-the-scenes of his artistic process and explains how he uses everyday objects to make important connections between the past and present, and tell vibrant stories through his art work.
Plan your visit: npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2024/six-livesHistory explainer: who was Toussaint LOuverture?National Portrait Gallery2024-08-13 | Discover the extraordinary story of Toussaint L’Ouverture, a remarkable leader who led the most successful uprising against slavery in history. In this video we consider how he has been represented in historical portraits and explore how contemporary artists are offering new perspectives and reinterpretations of his legacy.
Find out more at www.npg.org.uk/schools-hub/history-explainer-who-was-toussaint-louvertureInstalling a costume from SIX The Musical | Behind the Scenes at NPGNational Portrait Gallery2024-07-30 | Hear actress Nikki Bentley describe performing in the Catherine of Aragon costume from SIX The Musical, and see how it was installed in the Gallery for the exhibition Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII's Queens.
Plan your visit: npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2024/six-livesSix Lives: The Stories of Henry VIIIs Queens | Exhibition TrailersNational Portrait Gallery2024-07-19 | Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens is the first major exhibition to focus on the women who married the infamous Tudor king.
Exploring agency, influence and the Queen’s lasting cultural impact, this exhibition will take you on a journey through time – from contemporary portraits by Hiroshi Sugimoto and costume from west-end sensation SIX the Musical to sixteenth-century portraits by Hans Holbein the Younger, shown alongside a magnificent tapestry, textiles, books and jewels.
🎥 Fully Fledged FilmsHerbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024 | Exhibition TrailersNational Portrait Gallery2024-07-19 | The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award makes a welcome return to the National Portrait Gallery for 2024. The prestigious competition showcases the very best in contemporary portrait painting and is open to everyone aged eighteen and over. Since its inception over 40 years ago, the competition has attracted over 40,000 entries from more than 100 countries and the exhibition has been seen by over 6 million people.
Plan your visit to see this free exhibition: npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2024/hsf-portrait-awardFaces and PlacesNational Portrait Gallery2024-07-16 | Faces and Places is the National Portrait Gallery’s London outreach programme which first took place in 2021-22 when the Gallery closed for major redevelopment. Through Faces and Places, students actively engage with the diversity of people represented in the Gallery’s Collection, expand their knowledge of local history through people, discover artists and artworks, and are inspired to create their own artistic responses.Access at the National Portrait GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2024-07-02 | Hear from Martin Dougan as he demonstrates how to navigate our refurbished Gallery and access the numerous devices we have available to facilitate your visit, such as magnifying glasses, large print maps, hearing loops, and more.
Learn more about access at the Gallery: npg.org.uk/visit/accessibilityBella Freud | Lucian Freuds SketchbooksNational Portrait Gallery2024-06-20 | Watch fashion designer, Bella Freud, talk about sitting for portraits by her father, the artist Lucian Freud, as she looks through sketchbooks from the Gallery’s Lucian Freud Archive.
Explore the Lucian Freud Archive: npg.org.uk/collections/research/archive/lucian-freud-archiveFrank Paul | Lucian Freuds SketchbooksNational Portrait Gallery2024-06-20 | Watch artist and presenter, Frank Paul, describe sitting for portraits by his father, the artist Lucian Freud, as he looks through sketchbooks from the Gallery’s Lucian Freud Archive.
To find out more and book your school visit, go to: www.npg.org.uk/schools-hubInstalling Thomas J Price’s ‘As Sounds Turn To Noise’ | Behind the Scenes at NPGNational Portrait Gallery2024-04-08 | See how artist Thomas J Price’s work ‘As Sounds Turn to Noise’ was installed for the National Portrait Gallery’s 2024 exhibition The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure.Alessandro Raho on his portrait of Dame Judi DenchNational Portrait Gallery2023-12-14 | Artist Alessandro Raho reflects on painting his striking, large-scale portrait of actress Judi Dench. He shares his experience of first meeting her, the surprising link between Judi Dench and Sarah Siddons, and what it was like to be commissioned to make this work by the NPG.
See this portrait on display: npg.org.uk/visitDavid Hockney: Drawing from LifeNational Portrait Gallery2023-12-11 | David Hockney: Drawing from Life explores the artist’s work over the last six decades through his intimate portraits of five sitters: his mother, Celia Birtwell, Gregory Evans, Maurice Payne and the artist himself.
Open until 21 January 2024
🎥 Produced by Helen PlumpDesigning the walls of the new National Portrait GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2023-12-07 | Gainsborough Silk Weaving have a long-history of weaving wool, using both traditional and modern electronic looms, and we were excited to work with them on the new fabric wall hangings at the NPG.
Hear from Lucy Peltz, Senior Curator of 18th Century Collections, and Neil Thomas, Managing Director of Gainsborough Silk Weaving, on how they took inspiration from the artworks on display to design the fabrics and colours.Celebrating Contemporary Welsh Identity with Glynn Vivian Art Gallery – Working With Young PeopleNational Portrait Gallery2023-11-29 | Glynn Vivian's youth programme, Young Art Force is an open art class which uses different materials and techniques to explore the Gallery's exhibitions and collection displays. In this film, colleagues at Glynn Vivian share their experiences in how they developed this youth programme and the importance of resources, outreach and encouragement. Film produced by Artdocs.The story of Charles Is trial and execution - told through his portrait miniatureNational Portrait Gallery2023-11-13 | The dramatic conclusion to the English civil wars was the beheading of King Charles I on 30 January 1649. This small portrait tells this story of Charles I's trial and execution, with the work having 17 mineral mica sheets that go over this miniature to illustrate key moments of this story.
The miniature is currently on display at the NPG: npg.org.uk/visitWelcome to the National Portrait GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2023-10-25 | The NPG's story began in 1856, over 150 years ago when the original founders of the Gallery decided to start collecting the portraits of 'the most eminent persons in British history'.
The role of the NPG remains the same today – telling the story of the nation through the people who shaped it. Following three years of closure that saw the most extensive redevelopment of our building since 1896, we're excited to have reopened our doors this year.
Hear from our Director Nicholas Cullinan as he shares more about this transformation – which included a complete rehang of our Collection combined with the refurbishment of the building.
Visit the NPG: npg.org.uk/visitPandora’s wine box by Tom Denbigh | A poem about the industrial revolutionNational Portrait Gallery2023-10-24 | See poet Tom Denbigh performing his new piece 'Pandora's wine box', which is inspired by the National Portrait Gallery's hang in Room 16: Technological Transformations.
In writing this poem, Tom looked at the industrial revolution and this creative age as if it were a party - with the guests being the innovators on our Gallery walls, including computer pioneers Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage.
As well as being a poet and playwright, Tom is also a climate change scientist, and his poem explores the unintended consequences of the industrial revolution and the inevitable carbon hangover of that time.
Visit Room 16 at the NPG: npg.org.uk/visitWho was Toussaint LOuverture? | Iconic IndividualsNational Portrait Gallery2023-10-24 | Born into slavery around 1743, Toussaint L’Ouverture was a Haitian general who became a leader and figurehead of an uprising of enslaved people that overcame French rule in St Domingue (now Haiti). Join us as we hear from writer Afua Hirsh and artists François Cauvin and Peter Brathwaite, who explore further the impact of Toussaint and contemporary re-imaginings of him.
Explore further on our website: npg.org.uk/collections/toussaint-louvertureWhat makes a great museum shop? with Compton Verney and Hay CastleNational Portrait Gallery2023-10-12 | For many visitors, the museum, gallery or heritage site shop is an integral part of their visiting experience. Whether audiences are looking for a postcard, gift or seeking the perfect souvenir, the museum shop provides memories for our visitors, and a vital source of income for our organisations. This film captures practice sharing between colleagues at two very different sites, around the joys and challenges of retail in this environment. This film is an ART DOCS production.Representing women and young people’s perspectives at Laing Art GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2023-10-12 | The question of how to create displays which represent the society that we live in is central to how the Laing Art Gallery tackles the growth and curation of its collections. In this film, colleagues share their approaches for making this happen - from hanging works by the date they were acquired (rather than chronologically) and fore-fronting the work of women artists, to embracing the views of young people. This film is an ART DOCS production.Artists in Residence at Watts Gallery - Artists Village - Habib Hajallie: A British Hall of FameNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-26 | This film explores how artist residencies can be of most benefit to both artists and galleries. Artist Habib Hajallie’s work explores themes of identity, representation and Britishness. During his residency at the Watts Gallery, he responded to portraits on display to create his most ambitious work to date, A British Hall of Fame. This included exploring the Faces of Fame exhibition which combined works from the Watts Gallery with photographic portraits from Simon Frederick’s Black is the New Black series, loaned from the National Portrait Gallery. Film by Creative Colony.Curating A Century of Style with Ulster Museum and the National Portrait GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-26 | How can curators with different areas of expertise work together to curate exhibitions? The A Century of Style exhibition brings together images from the National Portrait Gallery's collection by fashion photographers from the 1920s to the present day. This film tracks the learning and practice sharing that took place through the exhibition's development, such as the evolution of its themes including Designers, Model, Maker, Muse, and Art and Fashion.
This film is an ART DOCS production.Supporting staff and visitors engaging with the Troubles and Beyond exhibition at Ulster MuseumNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-26 | This film shares Ulster Museum's approaches to training staff to support audiences in engaging with exhibitions and displays which are of a sensitive or difficult nature. It also explores the importance of working closely with communities over long periods of time to represent different voices and perspectives around complex, recent histories.
This film is an ART DOCS production.Creative Connections Southampton | NPG X Southampton City Art GalleryNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-26 | Watch the journey of our Creative Connections Southampton exhibition, where students from Cantell School - Proud members of the Aspire Community Trust worked with the artist Pete Codling to create portraits inspired by the city of Southampton.
These exciting portraits join works from our Gallery's Collection and those from across Southampton City Art Gallery and Museum's collection in an exhibition celebrating the city of Southampton and the people that call it home.
Creative Connections is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund, and with the generous support of the Palley family.
Film by Leah RustomjeeHistory explainer: how to use a portrait as a historical sourceNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-11 | What can portraits reveal to us? How can portraits unlock stories from the past?
In this film, we demonstrate how to analyse portraits using fascinating examples from British history. We give you handy hints and things to look out for to help you discover useful information, make historical inferences, or kickstart an enquiry.
Find out more at www.npg.org.uk/schools-hub/history-explainer-how-to-use-a-portrait-as-a-historical-sourceHistory explainer: the votes for women campaignNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-05 | How and why did campaigners win voting rights for women? The 'votes for women' campaign was one of the most important in the long fight for equal rights between men and women – a fight that is still going on today. This video introduces some of the different people involved in the campaign for women's suffrage (the right to vote in national elections), the methods they used in their campaigning, and why their struggle was so important.
Conservation specialists at the National Portrait Gallery use a range of tools and techniques to make discoveries about the paintings and to take care of them. Members of the conservation team share secrets discovered using scientific techniques that help them to see beneath the surface of some of the Gallery's most important paintings.
Robin-Lee Hall explains how to start drawing: what you need to use, how to set up your workspace and where to find inspiration. She demonstrates some warm-up techniques that will get you in the right frame of mind for drawing, and gives her advice on how to improve.
Consider what you can learn by looking closely at different portraits from the National Portrait Gallery's Collection. Develop your portrait analysis skills and explore how artists use different elements, techniques and media to communicate mood, feelings and ideas.
There are lots of different portraits of all sorts of different people in the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. They were made by artists in all sorts of ways. In this video we look at lots of portraits, small and large, old and new, to explore what a portrait can be.
Artist Shirin Neshat talks about the creative decisions behind making a portrait of Malala and meeting the important challenge of showing who she is and what she represents. Malala Yousafzai reflects on her feelings about having her portrait made, the importance of including portraits of women and girls from different backgrounds in the National Portrait Gallery, and the powerful stories they can tell.
Explore further at: www.npg.org.uk/schools-hub/portrait-in-focus-malala-yousafzai-by-shirin-neshatHistory explainer: John Blanke in Tudor BritainNational Portrait Gallery2023-09-05 | The Westminster Tournament Roll was created in 1511 to record a special event held by King Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. The roll shows all sorts of activities, including trumpeters playing music. One of these musicians is John Blanke. His image in the roll is the earliest-known image of a Black person living in Britain whose name is known.
This video focusses on certain details in the roll that help us discover what the Westminster Tournament was. We also discuss what historians know about the life of John Blanke, why he was an important person in the Tudor period, and why he holds a significant place in British history.
Nick Reynolds specialises in creating life masks from a mould of the sitter’s face. Watch him then demonstrate how he makes a mould using specialist materials, and outline the techniques involved in this process.
Like many artists, Lucian Freud used sketchbooks in his everyday working life. This video looks at his sketchbooks, which span his entire career, to explore the creative processes behind his intensely observed portraits. By looking at his preparatory sketches, experiments with mark-making, and the notes he jotted down, you’ll gain insights into his working process – and be inspired to use sketchbooks to develop your own artistic practice.
Our identity is what makes each of us unique. It can be a huge, complex concept, that goes beyond physical appearance. Explore the different ways artists have created portraits that express something about their sitters, and the sitter’s role in communicating their sense of self.
Migration is when people move from one place to live in another. This video uses portraits to tell the stories of some of the people who have migrated to Britain throughout history. We discover their stories and the impact they have made. We consider some of the reasons why people migrate, and how migration shapes our everyday lives.
Curtis Holder looks inwards, reflecting on what makes him different and how he uses that to create his art; and describes where he finds inspiration and how he gets into the right headspace to create.
He also looks outwards, explaining how he finds sitters and helps them relax and focus, and talking through his artistic processes working from life, reference material and conversation.
Although she does not limit herself to one artform, Olivia Rose is particularly known for her photography, and she believes portraits are the ultimate photography. From her home studio in London, Olivia Rose talks about her work and her identity as an artist. She discusses how she got started and how she began to stand out as an artist.
In this video, she reveals her essential equipment for photography, her sources of inspiration, and talks about the magic of shooting on film. She describes how she creates an atmosphere in her portrait photography, and how she makes a connection with her sitter, discussing her portrait of grime artist Stormzy.