The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons

A Late Shift tour of the First Actresses exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery was the perfect way to spend an evening with a friend. As the wind blew with menace outside, we stepped into the luxurious gallery. Music was playing, a small bar open for visitors and an expert curator was on hand ready to give us a guided talk and put the collection in context.

The First Actresses is a glorious spectacle of beauty, fashion, theatre and femininity, a depiction of the famous actresses who commanded attention in 17th and 18th century Britain. Artists such as Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough were captivated by these notorious and glamorous performers, recording their beauty, dramatic expression and coquettishness through stunning portraiture. Each painting offers clues about the actress shown, the artist and the society that surrounded these divas. Often these paintings would elevate and enhance the actresses' reputations and increase their impressive fortunes, perhaps this was the beginning of the celebrity culture that we are now so familiar with.

The group wandered round wide eyed amazed by the clever grouping of exquisite paintings. We heard tales of the 18th century ladies of the stage, and their mischievous behaviour. Learning of the infamous Nell Gwyn, the first independent woman to really make her mark in the theatre. Gwyn used portraiture to her advantage, manipulating the artist and viewer with clever innuendo and charm. The first two pictures in the exhibition show her in suggestive poses, revealing her décolletage in an enticing manner, her facial expression demure and subtle. It is clear to see how and why she may have benefitted from these paintings, soon enough she became the King’s mistress.

This exhibition is wonderfully varied, so much so that I began to forget they were all portraits and instead felt utterly involved in their decadent lives. Every piece feels special, I loved examining the detailed woodcuts, and catching my breath at the epic full length portraits of the attractive Sarah Siddons. Not only are the paintings beautiful but they are entertaining and interesting, a history lesson into the lively theatrical scene in London that has shaped how women work on stage today.

Visit the National Portrait Gallery website here.

E.O. Hoppe at The National Portrait Gallery

The first major E. O. Hoppe exhibition in thirty years begins with a dazzling silver print self portrait. I went along to the National Portrait Gallery for a lunchtime excursion on a sunny day last week. Even at 2pm on a Monday afternoon the gallery was busy, so I can only imagine what it is like at weekends. Notebook in hand I wandered round ready for my first Hoppe experience.

In the 1920s Hoppe was one of the most famous photographers in the world, and yet when he died in 1972 he was almost forgotten. He was a well connected man, a close friend of George Bernard Shaw, and evidently from this show, acquainted with rather a lot of other progressive and creative people. Celebrity portraits range from Thomas Hardy to Albert Einstein, King George V to Mussolini, and numerous names in between. All of these unique portrayals can be seen hanging side by side like a wall of fame. Many of the photos have been forgotten or lost and unseen before.

Hoppe’s images catch the sitter’s spirit, character and even mood. A rare picture of dancer and choreographer, Nijinsky shows him hanging his head in exhaustion, eyes closed, backstage after a performance, it certainly is not a conventional photo of this flamboyant icon. Hoppe is keen to express individuality and seems adamant that a genuine attitude should come across in the subject’s gaze, whether they are looking into the lens or gazing elsewhere.

When he wasn’t mixing with the stars, Hoppe was a pioneering street photographer, often using undercover equipment to capture his subject unaware. Most often he would use a hidden Kodak Brownie wrapped in brown paper, this enabled the remarkable spontaneity of the photographs.

Easily my favourite photograph of the lot is ‘The Pearlies’. This image (shown above) captures the concentration of a little boy tucked tightly into his stiff mini pearly outfit complete with cap. I was fixated by this little man, it reminded me of my own brothers posing and staring at the camera when they were toddlers.

The Westminster Gazette commented that Hoppe “may indeed claim to have made the camera sing” and I couldn’t agree more. With such illuminating portraits, I am just surprised it has taken so long for his revolutionary photography to be properly celebrated.

Show continues until 30 May 2011, book here.

Taylor Wessing Photography Prize 2010 at The National Portrait Gallery

My lunchbreak today cost me £2, and it was one of my most productive yet. I am lucky to have a tube station right outside my workplace which makes getting into central London quick and easy. Lunchtime lasts an hour, but deciding how to spend it can often be a whole morning's activity. Being so close to Harvey Nichols and Harrods, shopping is inevitably a regular excursion, but... this week, feeling the financial strain of Christmas, I decided to do something a bit different. I took a trip to The National Portrait Gallery to see the Taylor Wessing 2010 Photographic Portrait Prize.

Entrance to the exhibition is £2, a fee that some attitude-y teens were trying to dodge as I went in. The prize presents the very best in contemporary portrait photography, showcasing work from amateurs and professionals and even photography students. From the 5,984 images submitted only 60 were chosen to feature in the show, with four of those being the prizewinners.

The photographers vary immensely in subject matter, style and approach. The collection is powerful, some images are particularly moving and others are very clever in their realisation. Many reveal an underlying story, or an insight into a person’s life. I loved the photograph by Toby Coulson called ‘Jack’, it pictured a young boy holding a small tortoise, his pet that had been bought with the savings he collected from mowing the lawns of friends and neighbours. Such a sweet story and equally endearing image.

Some of the pictures depict famous figures: Tony Blair by Kalpesh Lathigra, Charlie Watts (drummer of The Rolling Stones) by Michael Donald and the artist David Hockney with his dog by Jonathan Root. I found the photos of random people interesting too, Oliver Reed took a photo of an unknown girl on a train texting, just because he felt compelled by the composition; images like this show an intriguing moment in time. Third prize went to Jeffrey Stockbridge for his photograph ‘Tic Tac and Tootsie’ of twin sisters Carroll and Shelly McKean. The girls had been homeless for a year and consequently turned to drugs and prostitution. It is a confrontational image, worryingly disturbing. First prize was awarded to David Chancellor for his picture ‘Huntress with Buck’ it shows 14 year old Josie Slaughter, a skilled hunter from Birmingham, Alabama. It is part of the artist’s project documenting hunting and hunters. The picture is arresting with a stark contrast between the vivid foreground and serene background. See above.

Despite only having an hour off, I managed to spend 25 minutes looking round this exhibition and even had time to grab a coffee from Nero on my way back. I got back to my desk with 5 minutes to spare; 55 minute lunchbreak, well spent!

On until 20 February 2011, more info here.

Camille Silvy at the National Portrait Gallery

I must admit I was initially drawn to the Camille Silvy exhibition because of our name share, my full name also being Camille.

Camille Silvy was a pioneer of early photography and established himself as one of the leading portrait photographers in London, to which he moved in 1859. This exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery displays many incredible images, some of which have not been shown since the 1860s.

Silvy spoke of his passion: ‘ when I realised the inadequacy of my talent in obtaining exact views of the places we travelled through, I dedicated myself to photography and ... concentrated especially on reproducing everything interesting – archaeologically or historically – that presented itself to me.’

The show begins with a collection of photographs taken in France. Quiet and serene these photos have a nostalgic feel, they capture the street life in the most natural way. The motif of horses recurs throughout the exhibition, a subject close to Silvy’s heart. He was a keen and knowledgeable horseman, as shown in the painting of him included in the collection. Later there is a series of very romantic photographs taken in London. These are intimate studies of delicate light and dark. My favourites were ‘Fog’ and ‘Twilight’, both taken in 1859. These hazy shots depict mysterious secrets in the shadows of London.

As the exhibition continued I realised Camille Silvy and I had more in common than I had originally thought. Like me, Silvy loved fashion and the theatre. His wife often modelled for him in the latest Parisian fashions; one of her more outrageous dresses is displayed. She was a useful part of the process, Camille could try out all his new ideas in the photographs he took of her. The final rooms show Silvy’s obsession with the magical opera stage. The main focus of his attention was the international operatic star Adelina Patti, and it has been said that as a model she brought out the best in his talent.

It’s sad to think that Camille Silvy has been left unnoticed for so long, he is a modern master worthy of rediscovery.

BP PORTRAIT AWARDS 2010

Daphne Todd's 'Last Portrait of Mother'

Every year The National Portrait Gallery houses the BP Portrait Awards. It features the paintings of artists from all over the world; with a first prize incentive of £25,000 this award can launch an artist's career.

This year there were 2,177 entrants, of which 58 works were selected. Subjects vary from intimate family portraits, revealing self portraits and even a few of familiar celebrities.

I was disappointed to find that the winners' portraits had been decided and the results displayed, as I found this affected my opinions of the works. First prize was awarded to Daphne Todd for her poignant painting of her mother on her deathbed.

Eliot Haigh's 'Quena'

My personal favourite in the show was Quena by Eliot Haigh. A soulful painting capturing a private moment of contemplation. My companion's favourite was Alan Coulson's 'Ciara', a portrait of the artist's wife that reflects the intimacy of their relationship. A large painting, the artist shows precise detail and yet still creates a painting of mood and character.

Portraiture is a subject that touches all of us. We see faces everyday, ours and other people's. The BP Portrait Awards are on until 19 September, and with a Visitors Award it's worth going to have your vote.