Beware the Portrait

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Preparatory Sketch for Winston Churchill Portrait by Graham Sutherland*

Creating art on commission can be a tricky affair—especially so in portrait work, where anticipation of a pleasing outcome can be understandably high. It may be expected that the portraitist will flatter the sitter’s looks or personality in some way—perhaps unrealistically so. It is a rare occurrence when a portrait is commissioned to express an artist’s particular style or viewpoint. To be successful, then, the portraitist must both please the sitter with the likeness and perhaps express something unseen which illuminates our understanding of the individual. It is a tall order requiring great skill and perception and not an assignment to be casually entered into.

When watching the Netflix series about the royal family, The Crown, we were fascinated by an episode which focused on the ill-fated portrait of Sir Winston Churchill by Graham Sutherland. Mr. Sutherland was commissioned by both houses of Parliament …