Patrick Heron: Studies for a portrait of T.S. Eliot

Fascinating display at the National Portrait Gallery exploring the creative process of behind Patrick Heron’s portrait of T.S. Elliott, one of the Gallery’s most celebrated modernist paintings.

The display included drawings from life plus from memory and preparatory paint works. The studies were done over three years  and between the commission and the finished work Elliott won the Nobel Prize.

There were three wonderful sketches which started with a distinct lovely drawing which Heron proceeded to abstract and cube. I also liked seeing the finished work and a cubist style version side by side.

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