The Ballroom at Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent. © National Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Portrait News Category

Lines of Enquiry at Leeds Art Gallery

A new collection display at Leeds Art Gallery invites visitors to look beyond the surface of an artwork into the creative process itself. Bringing together a range of artworks from the gallery’s nationally renowned works on paper collection which consists of over 10,000 items, works in the display date from the late 18th century to […]

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The Last Princesses of Punjab at Kensington Palace

An exhibition currently on display at Kensington Palace utilises portraiture to explore the life of Punjabi princess and suffragette icon, Sophia Duleep Singh, alongside the women who inspired her. Paintings and photographic portraits narrate the extraordinary lives and achievements of Sophia and her sisters Catherine and Bamba, her mother Bamba Müller and her grandmother Jind […]

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Making Her Mark at Penlee House Gallery & Museum

A new exhibition highlights the creativity, innovation and determination of women who have shaped British art from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day. A collaboration between Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum and Kirkcaldy Galleries, Making Her Mark brings together over 50 works by women artists from their respective collections. Portraits […]

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Gender Stories at the Walker Art Gallery

The collaborative touring exhibition Gender Stories has just opened at its final venue, the Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool. In dialogue with a diverse collection of decorative art, personal stories and objects, the rich selection of portraits in this exhibition traces the spectrum of genders and their expression across time and place. The power […]

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Portraiture and diplomacy in the British Museum exhibition Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans

Two small yet commanding lithograph portraits feature in the British Museum’s current exhibition Hawaiʻi: a kingdom crossing oceans. The portraits of King Liholiho and Queen Kamāmalu anchor this exhibition’s account of the unification of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i and their unprecedented diplomatic visit to the United Kingdom more than two hundred years ago. Diplomatic gifts presented […]

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New commission by Charmaine Watkiss at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter

A new commission by nationally-acclaimed British artist Charmaine Watkiss is on display at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter until 16 August 2026. Charmaine Watkiss is known for works that explore the botanical legacy and healing traditions of the Caribbean through which she traces a lineage to Africa. Inspired by the museum’s West African displays, […]

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Annual Seminar 2026 – Curating Historic Portraits: Transcultural Conversations

Organised by the Understanding British Portraits Subject Specialist Network in partnership with The Box, Plymouth This event is funded by the Journeys with Mai project, which is generously supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and other supporters. Hybrid event: in-person at the University of Plymouth, and online via Zoom Places are free […]

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