500 Portraits showcases the winning portraits and selected others from the exhibition from 1990 to 2010, plus some of the paintings commissioned from prize-winners. (Later years include more paintings than earlier.) The book reveals the vast variety of styles in modern portraiture and the tremendous creativity of the artists, and shows the continuing relevance of portraiture in the age of photography and computer art.
If you're contemplating entering the competition, perusing the pages of this book will help you get a feel for the style of painting and composition that makes the shortlist. Yes, there is quite a bit of variation, but detailed realism does dominate each year, especially the winning portraits.
As director of the gallery, Sandy Nairne, write in his introduction, "provides an overview of the achievements of more than 400 taleneted artists whose skills and creative abilities are celebrated."
Photo ©2012 Marion Boddy-Evans. Licensed to About.com, Inc.
- Published by the National Portrait Gallery, London
- Publication date: July 2011
- ISBN 9781855144484
- Format 229x170mm (approx 9x7 inches), hardback with loose cover
- Extent 320 pages
- 532 illustrations in full color
- Brief biographies of winning artists
- Written by Sandy Nairne, director of the National Portrait Gallery
