Kenneth Clark, Baron Clark

Sitterback to top

• Kenneth Clark, Baron Clark (1903-1983), Art historian. Sitter in 25 portraits, Artist of 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

• Graham Vivian Sutherland (1903-1980), Painter. Artist associated with 23 portraits, Sitter in 61 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Graham Sutherland, who was an old friend of Kenneth Clark and owed much to his support, has caught his arrogant character well. Clark retreated from his wealthy, business background, as the son of a Scottish textile magnate, into the world of the arts and became an extraordinarily dominant figure. Director of the National Gallery at the age of thirty-one, he spent the 1950s as Chairman of the Arts Council and of the Independent Television Authority. At the time this portrait was painted, in the early 1960s - sittings took place in the garden of Sutherland's house at Trottiscliffe in Kent between February 1962 and December 1964 - Clark was a Trustee of the British Museum, on the Advisory Council of the Victoria and Albert Museum and had recently been Slade Professor at Oxford.

Related worksback to top

• NPG 5244: Kenneth Clark, Baron Clark (related to)

Linked publicationsback to top

• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 210
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 210
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 126
• Simon, Jacob, The Art of the Picture Frame: Artists, Patrons and the Framing of Portraits in Britain, 1997 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 8 November 1996 - 9 February 1997), p. 37

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• Artists and sitters (From 21 April 2007)

Subject/Themeback to top

• On display at the Gallery