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Royal Society of Portrait Painters

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Royal Society of Portrait Painters

To promote the practice of and further excellence in painted portraiture

We further our aims by offering an annual exhibition and a permanent collection as showcases for contemporary portraiture; valuable prizes and a bursary for emerging talent; talks, debates and demonstrations to give insight into portraiture and a service to help anyone who would like to commission a portrait.

18/06/2026

:

OPEN CALL!

Today we share some information from one of last years exhibitors Anastasia Mironova...

"The drawing started spontaneously during a quiet, reflective period. I was at home a lot, often tired, and sitting still and drawing felt like the most natural thing to do. The initial sketch took a day, and I returned to it over three or four sittings across a couple of weeks. I finished the final details the day before my 35th birthday, which made it feel like a quiet way to mark the milestone.

The portrait captures me in a very ordinary, private moment, at home, resting, observing myself without pretense. While making it I was thinking a lot about Dürer's self-portraits: that balance of honesty, stillness, and quiet intensity.

About me I trained in classical portraiture and figure drawing at the Repin Academy summer school in St Petersburg, and continue to study in the UK. I've always been fascinated by people, sometimes to the point of staring at strangers on the tube. My ongoing influences include Rembrandt, Serov, Schiele, and Morisot, and I'm endlessly fascinated by the UK art scene and the history I keep discovering here.

Currently working towards more ambitious compositions, moving beyond individual portraits into work with multiple figures and a stronger sense of space."
-Anastasia Mironova

Submit here or link in bio: https://therp.co.uk/the-rp-drawing-prize/
Deadline: 28th July, 5pm

Image: Anastasia Mironova, ' Self-Portrait', graphite on hand-toned paper, 60 × 45 cm, 2025 paints

16/06/2026

:

Our Critical Writing Prize OPEN CALL is here!
An award for new writing on any aspect of contemporary portrait painting.
The prize is open to all.

--
Three of the applicants will be selected to submit their complete texts and awarded either the first prize of £500 or one of two ‘special mention’ prizes of £250.

All three texts will be published in the RP Annual Exhibition Catalogue published in May (2027). The catalogue is a well-established document of record within the sector.

One of the aims of the prize is to provide a platform for aspiring writers on the visual arts and specifically to spark intelligent conversation about the contemporary portrait.

- The prize is open to all and is free to enter.

- Submissions must be in the English language.

- There is no age limit.

- No formal education or qualification is required to apply for this prize.

Find out more: www.therp.co.uk or go to the link in our bio.
-Check out our past years winning essays!

DEADLINE: Midnight, 2nd December 2026

Image: Owain Hunt

14/06/2026

Today we share the sixth snippet... of an Expert Panel Discussion, hosted by James Nicholls of Nicholls Art Group, on the occasion of an exhibition of Arnold Friberg paintings at the Mall Galleries. The talk is chaired by renowned curator Dr Alison Smith, with three of our RP member award winning artists Miriam Escofet, Antony Williams and Frances Bell. They talk about their work, their very particular working processes and the ideas that go into their portraits.

Alison Smith was formerly lead curator at Tate Britain, chief curator of the National Portrait Gallery, and is now director of collections and research at the Wallace Collection. Miriam Escofet has won several awards, including first prize for the BP Portrait Award 2018 at the NPG, she was subsequently commissioned to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for the Foreign Office. Antony Williams has won multiple awards, including the RP Ondaatje Prize twice and first prize at the HSF Portrait Award 2024 at the NPG, he was commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II in 1996 as part of his Ondaatje Prize. Frances Bell has won multiple awards, including the RP William Locke Prize and the prestigious Grand Draper Prize for the Portrait Society of America International Competition in 2025

You can watch the full, very insightful discussion on our YouTube via the link in our bio or here: https://youtu.be/VsviH_zHmuw

Film: James Nicholls

11/06/2026

:

OPEN CALL!

Today we share some information from one of last years exhibitors Daniel Juric...

"The charcoal portrait focused on expression and mood. I worked on the piece for about ten hours. While drawing, I repeatedly listened to "Paradise Circus" by Massive Attack, and the atmosphere of the song strongly influenced the direction of the portrait. The model’s expression and the feeling of the music came together as the main inspiration for the work. The Rhythm of the mark making is also an expression of the song ! The fleeting quality of charcoal makes it my favourite drawing medium. I dare to say I have pretty mastered it by now. I also love using texture to lead the eye through my drawings.

As an artist, I have spent the past ten years studying the great masters of art and learning from their techniques and approaches. Rather than focusing heavily on competitions or bussiness, I have mainly dedicated my time to developing my craft through daily practice and observation. On the occasions I have taken part in competitions, the experience has always been very positive and encouraging. Art is the central focus of my life, and I work on my craft every day with the goal of continually improving and becoming the best artist I can be. It never ends."
-Daniel Juric

Submit here or link in bio: https://therp.co.uk/the-rp-drawing-prize/
Deadline: 28th July, 5pm

Image: Daniel Juric, 'Paradise Circus'

09/06/2026

:

Our Critical Writing Prize OPEN CALL is here so if you're a creative writer, we want to hear from you!
An award for new writing on any aspect of contemporary portrait painting.
The prize is open to all.

--
Three of the applicants will be selected to submit their complete texts and awarded either the first prize of £500 or one of two ‘special mention’ prizes of £250.

All three texts will be published in the RP Annual Exhibition Catalogue published in May (2027). The catalogue is a well-established document of record within the sector.

One of the aims of the prize is to provide a platform for aspiring writers on the visual arts and specifically to spark intelligent conversation about the contemporary portrait.

Find out more: www.therp.co.uk or go to the link in our bio.
-Check out our past years winning essays!

DEADLINE: Midnight, 2nd December 2026

Image: Jason Walker RP, 'Natalie with Beanie'

08/06/2026

:

OPEN CALL!

Selected works will be exhibited at the University of Hull Art Gallery, with up to 120 artworks chosen by a distinguished panel.

And today we share and small Q&A we had with one of last years exhibitors Michele Liebler with their portrait titled 'Self Portrait - Journey'

How long did your portrait take to make? Is there anything about the process you’d like to share?
"For three months, I worked a few hours a week to complete this self-portrait.
I started by lightly sketching with graphite to find the structure and contour and intermittently smudged and erased working with the delicate gray shiny medium of the graphite to find the image. I continued to work inside and outside the contour lines of the face as I looked at myself in the mirror. In the final stage, charcoal was lightly applied on top of the graphite in selective areas of the face and background to unify the self-portrait.

Is there anything about the sitter you’d like to share?
I was the sitter for this self-portrait. By portraying myself in the act of drawing, a journey began in search for the complex relationships between details and broader shapes. Self Portrait -TheJourney emulates the formalistic style influenced from past traditions pictured in postcards of paintings and drawings of artists I love so much on the wall behind me in my studio: Paula Rego, Vincent Van Gogh, Alice Neel, Richard Diebenkorn, and Egon Schiele. I imagined entering into a dialogue with them across time and space.

What is your background with portraiture?
Psychological awareness and the human condition have always been the catalyst for the portraits I paint. I have focused on the faces and figures of the people I know best: family, friends, neighbors, and my own image. At the core of every face I paint and draw is to capture the essence of the person’s life in raw form.

-Selected self-portraits have been exhibited at National Academy Museum, New York, NY, Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, New York, Arnot Art Museum, Elmira NY. And awarded for specific merit from the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant and The Stefan Hirsch Award.

Submit here or link in bio: https://therp.co.uk/the-rp-drawing-prize/
Deadline: 28th July, 5pm

We look forward to seeing your portraits!

Image: Michele Liebler 'Self Portrait - Journey'
Graphite and charcoal on paper
35 x 35 cm

07/06/2026

Today we share the fifth snippet... of an Expert Panel Discussion, hosted by James Nicholls of Nicholls Art Group, on the occasion of an exhibition of Arnold Friberg paintings at the Mall Galleries. The talk is chaired by renowned curator Dr Alison Smith, with three of our RP member award winning artists Miriam Escofet, Antony Williams and Frances Bell. They talk about their work, their very particular working processes and the ideas that go into their portraits.

Alison Smith was formerly lead curator at Tate Britain, chief curator of the National Portrait Gallery, and is now director of collections and research at the Wallace Collection. Miriam Escofet has won several awards, including first prize for the BP Portrait Award 2018 at the NPG, she was subsequently commissioned to paint a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for the Foreign Office. Antony Williams has won multiple awards, including the RP Ondaatje Prize twice and first prize at the HSF Portrait Award 2024 at the NPG, he was commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II in 1996 as part of his Ondaatje Prize. Frances Bell has won multiple awards, including the RP William Locke Prize and the prestigious Grand Draper Prize for the Portrait Society of America International Competition in 2025

You can watch the full, very insightful discussion on our YouTube via the link in our bio or here: https://youtu.be/VsviH_zHmuw

Film: James Nicholls

05/06/2026

:

Our Critical Writing Prize OPEN CALL is here and we are ready to hear your creative proposals!
An award for new writing on any aspect of contemporary portrait painting.
The prize is open to all.

--
Three of the applicants will be selected to submit their complete texts and awarded either the first prize of £500 or one of two ‘special mention’ prizes of £250.

All three texts will be published in the RP Annual Exhibition Catalogue published in May (2027). The catalogue is a well-established document of record within the sector.

One of the aims of the prize is to provide a platform for aspiring writers on the visual arts and specifically to spark intelligent conversation about the contemporary portrait.

GO GO GO!

DEADLINE: Midnight, 2nd December 2026!

Image: Mark Sepple photography 2026

04/06/2026

:

Please welcome one of our newly elected members Jason Walker...
Congratulations Jason...

Jason is highly regarded for his sensitive portraits, still life and figurative work. He is known for his command of tonal values, refined use of colour and natural ability to bring subtle power to his chosen subject.

As well as a series of solo and mixed exhibitions, Jason has won prizes in the Discerning Eye Exhibition, the Hunting Art Prize and exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery's BP Portrait Award in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In 2004 Jason won the Holburne Portrait Prize and was commissioned to paint Glastonbury Festival founder, Michael Eavis. The portrait is now in the permanent collection at the Holburne Museum of Art in Bath.

In 2005 Jason painted the artist, Bryan Pearce. This portrait was given to Truro Museum, as part of The Bryan Pearce Bequest.

In 2023 Jason begin a series of drawings of found objects – ‘Vestigium’, these were exhibited in the Picture room at Newlyn Gallery throughout July 2024.

-You can go to his page on our website now to find out more details including enquiring to commission a portrait: www.therp.co.uk

Images: Jason Walker RP

02/06/2026

:

Please welcome one of our newly elected members Owain Hunt...
Congratulations Owain...

Owain Hunt (b.1994) is a British painter based in the United Kingdom. He is self-taught, having
studied Bsc Economics at the University of Bristol. Hunt’s practice concerns the human condition; contemplates the transience of memory and the brevity of life itself. Working from direct observation and delicately elicited drawings, his work emerges from a shared, fleeting existence with
his sitters. His sitters are carefully selected, to include members of his family, old friends and strangers. Processed primarily through paint and contorted by fragile memories, these sitting experiences evoke reflective, often melancholic artworks.
Hunt’s work belongs to private collections in The United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and the United States. Most noticeably, Hunt has shown with The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award, The Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize, The ING Discerning Eye, The Sequested Prize, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and The New English Art Club, of which he is a current recipient of the society’s Drawing Bursary.

-You can go to his page on our website now to find out more details including enquiring to commission a portrait: www.therp.co.uk

Images: Owain Hunt RP

Address

Mall Galleries, The Mall
London
SW1

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
	9:30pm - 11:59pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
	9:30pm - 11:59pm
Friday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

020 7930 6844

Website

http://therp.co.uk/

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