By Megan Murray
For centuries, commissioning a portrait was entirely normal. How else would one capture their friends and family and celebrate important moments than by hanging an impressive oil painting above the fireplace? When you think of the great portrait artists, from Franz Xaver Winterhalter to John Singer Sargent, you think of lush, oil-slick brushstrokes, dramatic use of light, seated subjects often holding fruit or flowers . Now, of course, this would all seem a little, well, dramatic. Even the notion of sitting for a portrait sounds like the kind of thing reserved for the Royals. And yet, a new wave of contemporary artists are harking back to these old traditions and making them their own.
Take the artwork for Lily Allen’s acclaimed 2025 album, West End Girl, for example. Allen commissioned 29-year-old Spanish painter Nieves González to paint a Baroque-inspired portrait of the singer, blending classical techniques with an oversized puffer jacket – a piece which immediately has become iconic and is currently hanging in the National Portrait Gallery.
It’s not just world-famous singers who are commissioning portraits, though. Fashion editor Daisy Murray’s birthday was marked by a portrait of herself and her youngest daughter. ‘I would love to sit for a classic portrait at some point in my life, but this feels much more representative of where I am and where my family is at this time – brash, bold, messy but colourful,’ she says. ‘My husband knew I wouldn't want a classic, hyper-romantic portrait of me or motherhood and Felix Higham’s boldness was the perfect choice.’
Founder of art platform SOTA, Emma Lang, agrees that portraiture is increasing in popularity, suggesting that it gives artists the power to shine a light on their communities. ‘I’m seeing more portraiture from emerging and mid-market artists, perhaps partly as a response to the historic lack of representation within the art world. Portraiture has become an important vehicle for artists to make themselves and their communities visible, whether through self-portraiture or by reflecting the people, cultures and traditions around them.’ If you’re looking for ones to watch, Emma recommends Sophie Goudman Peachey, Katherine Allen, Emma Tindale and Gavin Dobson ‘for modern artists taking on this theme with a fresh take’.
Whether you’re interested in commissioning a personal piece or like the idea of playing with classical-style portraiture in a contemporary space, there are so many options. Mix into an existing scheme, integrate into a gallery wall, place somewhere unexpected like above a door frame or go bold, and hang your own oil painting above the fireplace.
Liorah Tchiprout
London-based multi-media artist Liorah Tchiprout’s work has traversed printmaking, sculpture and painting, with her most recent exhibitions delving into portraiture. Her subjects are usually imagined – spanning her own dolls to historical families – drawing on Yiddish literature and Jewish culture. Liorah’s upcoming show (4th September) at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery showcases a fictional Jewish family, the Katzes, based on the 19th-century society portraits of John Singer Sargent.
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